DHANDING: Hundreds of households of Chepang communities have been facing acute starvation for almost a month in Dhading.

Chepangs based in a number of villages, including Brushbang, Jogimara, Dhusha, Mahadevsthan, Benighat, Gajuri and Pida, have been facing te worst.

Devoid of foodstuffs, people from the endangered communities have no option but to wander in the jungles in search of wild roots.

The Chepangs consume wild yam, roots and plants from mid-January to mid-April.

From mid-June to mid-August, they face an acute food shortage as roots are not available during the period.

A total of 18,000 Chepang — more than 70 per cent of them landless — live in Dhading, according to Tilak Chepang, a member of the Nepal Chepang Sangh.

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE