August 25: Farmers of Bhume Rural Municipality ward no 4 and 8 in Rukum (East) are elated with the operation of a ropeway in their locality. This transport facility is considerably facilitating the farmers in getting market for their domestic produces.    
The 1,144 metres- ropeway installed and operated by the Gravity Goods Ropeway in these two wards ferry vegetables and fruits to and fro in no time. Dhan Bahadur Budha, a farmer of Kuchibang, recalled that earlier it would take them some three to four hours of walk to reach Kandabagar from Kuchibang with their produces.    
"With the operation of the ropeway, it just takes two minutes on average," he gushed. The ropeway has saved their time and brought convenience for the people of the villages that do not have access to roads yet.    
Road track has been opened in Kuchibang recently. However, vehicles do not ply the track, bemoaned Budha. Khabang, Rukumkot among others are the nearest market for the produces grown in these areas.    
Jhalak Roka, another farmer from Kuchibang, admitted that he had not considered vegetable farming given the inconvenience they had been facing in reaching the marketplaces. But, due to the operation of ropeway, he admitted that many farmers like him have taken up commercial farming of vegetables such as cabbages, carrot and cucumber, among others.    
Kuchibang has favorable soil for vegetable farming, especially the above-mentioned vegetables.    
Farmers of 242 households at Kuchibang, Maibang, Jhimka and Handi among other places have been hugely benefited with the ropeway, according to Dilli Budhachettri, a local accountant.    
Besides farmers, the ropeway has been a great assistance for other purposes such as transporting food items related to the mid-day snacks for schools, admitted Budhachettri.     The ropeway that connects Kuchibang and Kandabagar was built with the financial assistance of the UK Aid and other social organizations. The UK Aid provided over Rs 4.3 million and the remaining amount of Rs 500,000 was collected through locals as labour donation, informed Hom Prakash Shrestha, chairperson of Bhume Rural Municipality.    
Plan is afoot to make Kuchibang a model agricultural village with the operation of the ropeway facilitating the farmers for their agricultural produces, according to Shrestha. -- RSS