Villages on Munsiyari-Milam route lack basic amenities

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, October 21

Kumaon Commissioner D. Senthil Pandian was apprised of the problems of health, education, communication and transportation in 13 villages situated on the 55-km Munsiyari to Milam trek route. He returned to the Pithoragarh district headquarters from the trek today.

“Thirteen villages on the world famous trek route are without medical, educational and communication facilities while the Munsiyari to Milam road is under construction and is likely to be completed in three years,” he said while talking with mediapersons at Pithoragarh today.

He added he had recommended creation of basic facilities in villages in the Munsiyari to Milam region.

According to sources, villagers residing on the Munsiyari to Milam trek route in the Johar valley have to come down 22 km to 55 km for primary medical care at the Munsiyari hospital and trek over 5 km to 13 km for primary education. There are primary schools only in Tola, Khilanch and Laspa villages at present.

“We are aiming at minimising migration from the Milam and Munsiyari region as the area abuts the China border and needs presence of people in villages,” said the Commissioner.

Villages are deprived of health facilities in the 55 km tough hilly region, which has hitherto been developed as a trek route for tourists going to the Milam glacier, neglecting the needs of the villagers. “People do not have any communication link. They have to approach ITBP posts near their villages to communicate through their satellite telephones,” said Puran Pandey, who accompanied the Commissioner from Munsiyari to the 22 km away camp at Bugdiyar.

Pandey said the Munsiyari to Milam route, which was known as the salt route before 1962 as it was used to transport Tibetan salt to lower Kumaon villages, is completely deserted. The population of villagers that used to be 2,600 before 1962 has come down to 350 today. Most of the villagers have shifted to lower valleys and cities in search of livelihood opportunities after the border trade with China was blocked in 1962. “We will try to convince people to return and settle in their ancestral villages by providing them basic facilities of health, education and communication there,” said the Commissioner.