SALLERI: The relentless and biting cold has brought normal life to a standstill in Solu, particularly in the Khumbu region, known as the epicenter of Himalayan tourism.

Locals, including hotel owners, usually bustling during the tourist season, have deserted the area to escape the bone-chilling winter.

Approximately 70 percent of businessmen and the general public in Khumbu have left, seeking refuge in Kathmandu and embarking on pilgrimages to India’s Buddhagaiya and other regions, according to local Damu Sherpa.

Khumbu, which usually buzzes with tourists, now presents a desolate sight, with airports, hotels/lodges, camping sites, and sightseeing places lying empty during the peak tourist season.

Toya Shrestha of Lukla noted that the Khumbu region has transformed into a ghost town with the exodus of most residents and entrepreneurs.

Although some hotels remain open, life for business owners is becoming increasingly challenging. Lukla’s Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) branch office reported a drastic drop in daily flights from over 100 during the season to merely five to six.

Due to its geographical remoteness and high-altitude location, Khumbu becomes inhospitable during the winter months, prompting residents to migrate to warmer areas for six months of the year.

As the cold intensifies, people in Salleri, the district headquarters of Solukhumbu, are resorting to lighting fires in the streets to combat the freezing temperatures. Dawa Sherpa of Salleri highlighted that the elderly and children are especially vulnerable to the harsh cold.

Nawaraj Parajuli from the Meteorological Centre, Salleri, reported a continuous decrease in temperature over the past week, with Salleri recording a low of minus two degrees Celsius on Tuesday—the lowest this year in the district.

Life in the upper parts of the district, including Namche, Lukla, and Fakding, has been severely impacted by the cold, affecting daily activities and causing water supply issues.

Residents described temperatures dropping to minus 17 degrees Celsius in the area, causing disruptions to development works and decreasing movement in the villages.

Lhakpa Sherpa, a teacher at PK Secondary School in Loding, highlighted the challenges faced by people in coping with the extreme cold, emphasizing the need to resort to heating fires for survival.

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