Mustang. Mustang tourism is slowing down again. The number of tourists in Mustang has started to decrease after the announcement of heavy snowfall, blizzards and avalanches.
District Administration Office, Lomanthang Rural Municipality and Loeghekar Damodarkund Rural Municipality among others sent separate public notices stating that there is a risk of snowfall, blizzard and avalanche from Thursday to Saturday.
According to the information of Meteorological Department, Weather Forecast Division, the administration and local bodies have informed tourists and common people not to trek in the Himalayan and high mountain areas of Mustang, considering the possible disaster risk as the weather is likely to remain unfavorable for three days from Thursday.
According to Information Officer and Police Inspector Ishwar Mahat of District Police Office Mustang, the number of tourists in Mustang is partially decreasing due to the bad weather forecast for three days from Thursday.
After Dasain, five thousand tourists entered Mustang daily, the number of tourists has decreased by half since Wednesday. On Wednesday, 2,834 tourists entered Mustang through the Beni-Jomsom road.
Out of which, employees who went home on vacation, security personnel and local citizens have returned to the Mustang work area and district. Police inspector Mahat informed that 779 vehicles entered Mustang from the border grass of Myagdi and Mustang on Thursday after the snowfall was reported.
Similarly, only on Wednesday, three thousand 312 tourists from Mustang left the check post of the area police office in Thasang-3. Police Inspector Mahat said that 799 vehicles were removed from Mustang on Wednesday.
According to him, two days ago an average of 5,000 people visited Muktinath, but on Wednesday it was limited to 2,479 people. Among them, 1,300 are natives, 1,500 are from SAARC countries and 21 are tourists from other countries, according to Police Inspector Mahat.
The ‘Tourist Permit Checkpost’ of Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Area Conservation Office, Jomsom has also informed that the traffic of tourists in Mustang is decreasing due to the risk of heavy rain and snowfall.
According to Rajesh Gupta, head of ECAP Jomsom here, before the announcement of snowfall and rain, more than 1,000 foreign tourists were entering Mustang every day.
According to the ACAP Tourist Check Post, 3,969 foreign tourists entered Mustang in the last four days. On October 25, 994 people, on October 26, 1060, and on October 27, 916 foreign tourists entered Mustang, while on October 29 (yesterday) 601 foreign tourists entered Mustang.
Out of the foreign tourists who entered Mustang, 130 foreign tourists have left Jomsom, informed ACAP chief Gupta. Lomanthank rural municipality president Tasinarbu Gurung made a public request not to travel and drive vehicles in Korlana and nearby areas as there is a high risk of heavy snowfall, blizzard and avalanche from Thursday.
President Gurung has requested through a notification not to travel in the upper region of Mustang from Thursday to Saturday, as there may be snow on the roads due to snowfall, vehicle accidents and health problems due to the cold.