BARA BHANGAL AWAITS RATION, SHEPHERDS SEEK HELP

DHARAMSHALA: A delegation under the banner of Himachal Ghumantu Pashupalak Mahasabha (HGPM) submitted a memorandum to the district administration related to their demand of ration supply on Monday.

The Bara Bhangal village, accessible by a 70-km trek from Bir village near Baijnath sub-division, awaits the ration supply and the shepherds camping at various locations in the remote valley are not getting basic items for survival like salt.

The snowbound valley remains closed for six months and opens in March/April every year and then the ration is taken to the valley on mules.

This year, the supply failed to reach the village as a footbridge and a stretch of mule path was damaged by a landslide in April.

HGPM secretary Pawna Kumari said apart from the 675 inhabitants of Bara Bhangal, around 1,200 shepherds are camping in the valley with their livestock.

“While the villagers are managing on stocked foodstuff, shepherds are facing difficulties and are not getting even basic items like salt, which is necessary for them and their livestock,” said Kumari.

The HGPM has demanded administration to send extra supply of ration and other items for the shepherds. They also demanded immediate repair of the mule path and construction of an alternate path so that the villagers do not face such problem in future.

Kangra deputy commissioner Sandeep Kumar said the helicopter hired by the government to supply ration could not take off due to bad weather and is parked at Chamba.