Rice distributed in Humla found to be rotten

The Rising Nepal
02 Feb, 2021

By Our Correspondent
Humla, Feb. 2: Rice that had been brought from Surkhet and distributed in Humla has been found to be rotten.
The rice sold and distributed from Balukuna Distribution Centre of Sarkegard Rural Municipality-1, in Humla district was found inedible.
Dhangadi Bal, a local there, said that the rice supplied by a contractor from Sorukot, in Mugu district, on mule and sold to locals was found rotten.
He said contractor Pradeep Tamata of Himal Construction Service Mugu supplied the date-expired rice. “I reached Balkuna centre walking four hours, but when I opened the sack at home in the evening, I found it rotten and full of weevils,” he said.
Most of consumers found the rice decayed and full of weevils when they opened the sacks after reaching home, he said.
The rice was inedible because of the infestation of rice bugs and weevils, however the upper part in sacks looked healthy, he said. The villagers had to give it to their cattle, said Dilbahadur Karki, another local.
The depot owners carelessly store their grains, complain the villager. Contractor Pradeep Tamata has admitted that the grains could have gotten wet on the way.