By Our Correspondents, Jumla/Humla/ Baitadi/ Bajura Dec. 29: Western hills in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces received rain and snowfall on Wednesday. The snowfall has affected the lives of the poor but pleased the farmers.

According to our Jumla correspondent Netra Shahi, Jumla has received snowfall for the first time this year. About half a foot of snow has piled and it is still snowing in Jumla. It has become colder after the snowfall in Jumal where the temperature has already gone minus.

The local administration has made fires at various intersections in the district headquarters to avoid the cold and help people keep warm.

According to Chief District Officer Bijaya Kumari Prasai, the snowfall has not affected the area so far as the firewood has been managed in coordination with the District Forest Office, Chandannath Municipality. It is continuously snowing in various parts of the district, he said.

According to Gagan Shrestha, Battalion Chief of the Armed Police Force No. 33, half a foot of snow in the district headquarters and one-foot snow in high-land areas have been piled up.

After the snowfall, firewood has been distributed in front of the office of Federation of Nepali Journalists, Bus Park, Krishna temple, District Administration Office, Kolkholi, airport and other places to keep locals warm, he said.

Due to the continuous snowfall, people and livestock have been forced to live indoors. However, farmers said that they were happy after the snowfall as it was good for the crops.

The minimum temperature in Jumla was minus 0.6 and maximum 7.0, said Jamuna Hamal, an employee at the Water and Meteorology Office, Jumla.

Meanwhile, our Humla correspondent reports, Limi, a village in the northern part of the district, has been disconnected from communication network for two days, due to the incessant snowfall.

Limi lost contact when Nepal Telecom's VSAT telephone service and World Link’s internet service did not work due to the heavy snowfall.

Kunjok Tamang, a local of Limi, said he tried to call Paljor Tamang, ward chairman of Namkha Rural Municipality-6, but in vain.

These services have been operating with solar power. He said that the road to Limi was also blocked due to snowfall at Nara and Nyalu Lake.

The three villages of Limi, Til, Halji and Zhang had a one-line VSAT phone operation.

Assistant Chief District Officer Dasharath Rai said that north Humla was out of communication network. He said the connection was lost not only in the three villages of Limi but also with a dozen other villages. He said he was in touch with a border security post in Hilsa.

Similarly, our Bajura correspondent Sher Bahadur Sarki reports, snowfall has started in Bajura from Tuesday night. People's lives in the district have been affected by the snowfall.

People's lives are being affected in Swamikartik, Himali, Jagannath Rural Municipality and Budhinanda, Chhededaha, Triveni, Budhiganga and Badimalika municipalities in the northeastern part of the district due to the snowfall.

According to our Baitadi correspondent Gokarna Dayal, extreme cold after continuous rainfall has affected the lives of people in the highland areas of the hilly districts of Sudurpaschim, including Baitadi.

Extreme cold has increased in Baitadi's Khodpe, Satbanjha, Dehimandao, Gwallek and other high-hill areas as the temperature has dropped to zero degree.

The Baitadi-Bajhang road has been blocked due to snowfall. Heavy snow has fallen in Khodpe, Anarkholi, Sribhabar, Garje, Satbanjh, Dehimadu, Gwallek and Dharmaghar of Baitadi district.

Transport businessman Narendra Bhatta said traffic from Khodpe to Bajhang in Baitadi has been blocked due to snowfall since Tuesday evening. More than two feet of snow were frozen in Singha Rural Municipality.

The water supply in the Khopad area has also been cut off due to the freezing of drinking water pipes.

The Darchula District Administration Office has issued a 12-point request letter to avoid unnecessary movement during the night, to wear warm clothes, to wear a mask when going out of the house to avoid both cold and coronavirus and to exercise for one hour daily.

According to Trilochan Thapa, a transport businessman, the number of vehicles in Baitadi is less than other days due to the cold weather. He said that the number of long- and short-distance vehicles has decreased due to the reduction in the number of passengers.

Dr. Basanta Raj Joshi of District Hospital, Baitadi said that the health of children and the elderly should be taken care of during the cold weather.