Bajhang, April 26 : The local levels in Bajhang district have decided not to let people pick yarshagumba this year in the wake of lockdown enforced to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.    
People from Saipal, Surma, Bungal and other local levels in the districts used to walk up the mountainous to comb meadows for the rare medicinal herb. With the onset of the New Year, it is time for the people here to pick the yarshagumba.    
Chairperson of Saipal rural municipality Rajendra Dhami informed that people were banned to collect the medicinal herb because the crowd could spread the coronavirus. Yarshagumba is the major source of income to most of the people in Bajhang district.    
However, a local from Saipal rural municipality Bam Bahadur Bohara shared the plight that it would be difficult for them to manage family expense as children's school fee as they were not allowed to pick the yarshagumba. "Not only the people from the district but those from neighbouring districts used to gather in thousands of number to collect the medicinal herb found at the altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 meters from Baisakh to Ashar," he added.    
Even the schools used to remain closed for the children were taken together by the parents to comb the meadows for the rare plant.