By Rajan Raut,Humla, Oct. 3: The residents of Limi Jang village, often referred to as ‘the village beyond the Himalayas’, in Namkha Rural Municipality-6, Humla, have begun leaving the village because of the lack of facilities within the village. The village is gradually becoming deserted as people are migrating to the urban areas in search of better prospects.

Kunchok Tamang, a resident of  Limi Jang village, said that the village has virtually become deserted. He said that Jang village originally had 64 households, and until last year, 17 households were in the village. “But this year,  only three households are left in the village,” he added.

He mentioned that the primary reason for the migration was the absence of basic facilities. He explained that the main difficulty faced by the villagers was the lack of healthcare services. 

“During the winter season when it snows, patients are compelled to trek for four hours to reach a medical centre, and this has contributed significantly to the rapid migration of the villagers,” he added.

He further said that when someone in the village falls ill, they must charter a helicopter from Kathmandu, incurring a minimum cost of Rs. 1 million. Additionally, the people of Limi are facing problems of transportation and electricity, compounding their difficulties.

Referring to the informal discussions with the villagers, Tamang said that this year only three households have opted to remain in the village during winter.

According to Tamang, this decision to leave the village is not a matter of choice for the villagers but a necessity. Among the three villages in Limi, namely Til, Halji, and Janga, it is observed that the most of the residents of Jang were migrating to Kathmandu.

Paljor Tamang, the Ward Chairman of Limi, has expressed concern over the increasing number of villagers leaving the village each year. He pointed out that the three households which are still residing in the village are doing so out of economic necessity rather than choice. 

Some time ago, Bhrikuti Basic School in Jang village was closed due to a lack of students. Currently, there are only three children in Limi and all of them are aged below three years.