People heading to highlands in western Nepal to pick yarsagumba in this file photo. Photo: NBA Files
 

April 27: The local levels in Bajhang district have decided not to let people pick yarsagumba this year in the wake of lockdown enforced to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.    
People from Saipal, Surma, Bungal and other local levels in the district used to walk up the mountainous to comb meadows for the rare medicinal herb. With the onset of the New Year, it is time for the people here to pick the yarsagumba.    
Chairperson of Saipal Rural Municipality Rajendra Dhami informed that people have been banned from collecting the medicinal herb because the crowd could spread the coronavirus. Yarsagumba is a major source of income for most of the people in Bajhang district.    
However, a local from Saipal Rural Municipality Bam Bahadur Bohara shared the plight that it would be difficult for them to manage family expense including children's school fee as they were not allowed to pick yarsagumba.

"Not only the people from the district but those from neighbouring districts used to gather in thousands of number to collect the medicinal herb found at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 meters from Baisakh to Ashar (mid-April to mid-June)," he added.    
Even the schools used to remain closed as the children were taken together by the parents to comb the meadows for the rare plant. -- RSS