Khotang, Oct 4 : Halesi Tuwachung municipality has provided food assistance to the drought-affected locals in view of Dashain celebration.  

  
The municipality has distributed food stuffs as relief assistance to those who were reeling under food crisis due to long spell of drought.   

 
Ruwan Rai, mayor of the municipality, shared that 10-kg packet of rice each was distributed to around 5,500 drought-affected households of 11 wards in Halesi Tuwachung.   

 
"Folks from drought-affected areas do not have grains to eat", he said, adding each household was provided with 10-kg rice when food crisis is likely to affect their festive celebrations. 

   
The municipality which is located in the western part of the district has decided to distribute rice to all household except the people's representatives, employees and those having regular monthly income of Rs 15,000.  

  
The municipal assembly had declared the municipality as food crisis zone when local farmers could not cultivate crops in many areas and the cultivated crops did not grow to yield. 

   
After declaring the food crisis zone, the municipality had purchased rice worth amounting to Rs 13 million for distribution.    

The long spell of drought is likely to cause reduction in crop yields in the district by 40 percent this year, said Hari Narayan Rai, technical assistant of Agriculture Knowledge Centre Khotang.