Picture:Â Hilsa is a study in contrast between the Chinese side with its paved road, electricity, telecom towers and buildings, with the decrepit facilities and dirt track on the Nepal side. The Karnali River bridge was inaugurated by Prime Minister Dahal on Tuesday.
Humla, the last district not yet connected by road, is closer to China than mainland Nepal
Humla, December 23, 2016: In the remote northwestern tip of Nepal is Humla, the last district that isn’t yet linked to the road network. At 2,900m elevation, Simkot is the highest placed district capital and has a busy airport that services Indian pilgrims going to Lake Mansarovar across the border in Tibet. After the earthquake destroyed the main Nepal-China border post at Kodari, the number of Indians on Kailash pilgrimage crossing the tiny border settlement of Hilsa grew three-fold to 10,000 this year.
As Nepal’s trekking trails upgrade services, tourists seeking an unspoilt destination must go to Humla’s Limi and Halji –- the remotest part of Nepal’s most remote district. After flying to Simkot, it is a five-day walk to Limi Valley with its perfectly preserved villages and Bon Po culture.
Kathmandu is so far away that locals do not expect anything from the Nepali state, and select their own elders to resolve local problems. In fact, it is China that is closer to Limi than mainland Nepal.
By Hari Bandhu Thapa