SIMKOT: COVID-19 panicked people of Humla fear scarcity of food as the district is heavily dependent on air transportation for food supply here.

Fearing the outbreak of famine in the district, the locals have urged the government to seek alternate means of transportation.

The locals already panicked by the possibility of corona virus transmission from the returnees from India are worried a lot at the possibility of famine in the district as the air transportation is disrupted by lockdown.

However, Binita Bhattarai, the Chief District Officer of Humla thinks there is no need to panic much about it as most of the food stuff meant for the district has already been brought to the district.

“A large portion of the food stuffs that the Nepal Food Management and Trade Company Limited was assigned to supply has already been supplied over here,” CDO Bhattarai said, “Only a small portion of it is left to supply.”

Yet she added that some more should be arranged to tackle prospective crisis provided the situation goes longer.

She informed that there is some 2500 quintal of food stuff at the Nepal Food Corporation’s store in the district. As precaution, with the decline in the food stuff in store, they have stopped issuing token to the public since last month.

As the distribution centers and depots in other rural municipalities also don’t fare better situation as the contractors failed to supply it due to lockdown, if the issue is not addressed in time situation may turn worse.