At minus 18°C, shepherds still stuck at Bara Bhangal

Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, October 9

At least 150 shepherds trapped in Bara Bhangal, Himachal Pradesh, since September-end, may try to make it through the Thumbsar Pass, ignoring the advice of the district administration to take the Jalsu Pass, which is considered more safe. 

Sources said the shepherds, along with sheep and horses, had moved to Marri near Thumbsar Pass, under 12-15 feet of snow, where the night temperature hovered at minus 18 degrees Celsius. Chatta Singh, who managed to return to safety, claimed the shepherds were not short of food for the time being. 

“But they have incurred losses with their cattle having perished or too weak to cross the Thumbsar Pass,” he said.  Baijnath SDM Vikas Shukla said they had issued an advisory to the shepherds against crossing over from Thumbsar as this could be dangerous. He said the shepherds were being supplied ration from the Bara Bhangal PDS shop. “We have advised them to leave their horses in Bara Bhangal, asking the local panchayat to take care instead.” 

He said the services of a mountaineering team too were requisitioned to bring back the body of a shepherd. “But the team felt trying to remove the body from a deep gorge was too risky,” he explained.

Local activist Akshay Jasrotia said the shepherds would not leave behind their cattle, “which is a source of their livelihood”.  He said they had asked the administration to at least repave the steep paths at the Thumbsar Pass to facilitate the shepherds’ return. “We have also sought that they be given financial help,” he added.