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POKHARA, Feb 24: The access trail to Nar and Phu in Narpa Bhumi Rural Municipality, one of Manang's most remote areas, has been temporarily reopened. A security team spent five days cutting ice along the path to clear the foot trail. With the path open, locals say voters have started returning home.
The security team, equipped with only basic tools, cleared the trail and returned to the district headquarters in Chame on Sunday, though one team remains on the trail. Chief District Officer Naba Raj Poudyal said ice had formed from waterfalls along the route, blocking the only path to Nar and Phu.
"For now, the trail is open. Voters can return home, and election staff can reach the villages more easily," he said. Unless it snows again, travel will remain possible. It takes at least two days on foot from Chame to reach Nar and Phu. Without electricity, clearing the ice had to be done manually. The frozen water had turned rock-hard and extremely slippery, blocking the trail.
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"One team of security personnel was assigned to this task. They spent five days cutting ice formed by water from waterfalls to clear the trail," Poudyal said. "The ice was as hard as rock. Through sheer force, the path has been opened for now." Most voters who had gone to towns to escape the cold can now return home comfortably, he added.
There are 488 registered voters in Narpa Bhumi. The rural municipality has five polling centers, and it takes at least two days on foot from Chame to reach them. Many residents are currently outside the district, staying seasonally in Besisahar (Lamjung), Kathmandu, and other cities. This rural municipality is considered the most remote and seasonally challenging in the district.
According to Chairperson Sonam Teje Lama of Narpa Bhumi-5, in the Dharmashala area of Narpa Bhumi-2, water from multiple waterfalls had spread over the trail and frozen, making it difficult for voters to return home. Now, he said, the path has been cleared, easing movement.
"Security personnel worked very hard to remove the ice and open the trail. Voters have started returning home," Lama said. "Some have already reached home, and others are on their way. Within the next few days, most voters should be back."
He added that ice patches were slippery, making walking difficult. "There was a risk of falling directly into the Nar and Phu valleys. Until the ice was cleared, going uphill was impossible. Now, voters can return home safely and participate in elections. Earlier, there was concern that some might miss voting, but that risk has now been removed."
