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Phalyak, Dharkajung, and Pakling villages of Waragung Mukti Kshetra-5 in Mustang are known as key agricultural hubs. Out of the municipality’s 19 villages, these produce the largest share of apples and sufficient grain, while farmers also grow yams, buckwheat, potatoes, beans, corn, barley, and other vegetables for income.

But farmers in Phalyak and Dharkajung are now struggling with an irrigation crisis. Rising ground temperatures and a lack of timely snowfall—effects linked to climate change—are causing irrigation sources to dry up, leaving locals increasingly worried.

Waragung Mukti Kshetra Rural Municipality Chairperson Ringjin Namgel Gurung said the absence of snowfall in Mustang over the past two years has dried up springs that farmers depend on. “Rain alone does not solve our irrigation problem. We need timely snowfall,” he said, warning that shrinking water sources are leaving once fully irrigated farmland almost barren. “In the past, 100 percent of cultivable land was irrigated. Now, it is hard to irrigate even 10 percent.”

Ward Chairperson Surendra Gurung of Waragung-5 added that the Lumbuk River, which normally swells between June and August, has started to shrink. “Agriculture is the main livelihood here, and it cannot exist without irrigation. The Lumbuk River is our lifeline, but it is drying up instead of rising,” he said. Farmers are now forced to share the limited water on a rotational basis, but even that is becoming unsustainable.

On Saturday, a team of farmers and local representatives inspected the river’s source. Rural Municipality Vice-chairperson Dicky Gurung reported that three springs feeding the Lumbuk River have decreased significantly, with water flow now reduced by nearly two-thirds compared to previous years. “There has been no snowfall for three consecutive winters, which has hit the river badly,” he said.

Local farmers confirm the worsening situation. “We found the water volume much lower than before. If this continues, our settlement could face displacement within a few years,” said Konchok Gurung of Dharkajung. Another farmer, Raju Gurung of Phalyak, noted that where one farmer previously irrigated 25–30 fields, it is now difficult to water even four or five.

Villagers say that adequate snowfall in winter could revive the river through spring meltwater, but snowless peaks have left them without hope. Some residents even performed religious rituals at the Lumbuk cave, praying for the restoration of water sources.

Locals are urging all three levels of government to address the climate-driven crisis by identifying alternative irrigation sources and investing in water management. Without immediate solutions, they fear their farming system—and way of life—will collapse.

Phalyak, Dharkajung, and Pakling villages in Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality are known as agricultural hubs. Among the 19 villages in the municipality, these areas are the leading producers of apples and grains. Farmers here grow fresh fruits and vegetables—including apples, papaya, potatoes, beans, corn, barley, and others—on fertile land, generating a good income.

However, local farmers in Phalyak and Dharkajung are now facing a growing irrigation crisis. Rising temperatures caused by climate change and the absence of snowfall during favorable periods have led to the gradual drying up of water sources. This has become a serious concern for the residents of Varagung Muktichhetra-5.

Ringjin Namgel Gurung, Chairperson of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality, said the lack of snowfall in Mustang over the past two years has dried up irrigation sources, posing significant challenges for local farmers. “Rain alone does not solve the irrigation problem here. For sufficient irrigation, snowfall must occur at the right time,” he said. “Due to increased carbon emissions, the springs are drying up, and the lack of irrigation in farmland is becoming a serious threat.”

Chairperson Gurung emphasized the need to identify new water sources to address the challenges brought on by the climate crisis. “In the past, 100 percent of the cultivable land used to be irrigated. Now, it’s hard to irrigate even 10 percent,” he said, noting a sharp decline in available water resources.

Surendra Gurung, Ward Chairperson of Varagung Muktichhetra-5, said that the Lumbuk River, which typically swells during June, July, and August, has begun to dry up. “All 100 households in Phalyak and Dharkajung rely on agriculture. But without irrigation, agriculture cannot survive,” he said. “The Lumbuk River was our main source of irrigation, but now it’s become unreliable. It should have had more water during this season, but it is instead shrinking.”

On Saturday, a team comprising local farmers, village leaders, the rural municipality chairperson and Vice-chairperson, and ward officials visited the source of the Lumbuk River to assess the situation. Vice-chairperson Dicky Gurung reported that all three sources near the Lumbuk waterfall are diminishing. “There has been no snowfall in Mustang for three consecutive years, and the Lumbuk River’s source has decreased by more than two-thirds compared to the past,” she said.

Local farmer Konchok Gurung from Dharkajung said he took the people’s representatives to inspect the spring after noticing a drastic drop in water flow. “Compared to previous years, the spring has significantly dried up, making irrigation extremely difficult,” he said. “If this continues, the community may be forced to relocate within a few years.”

Raju Gurung, a resident of Phalyak, echoed the concerns. “The Lumbuk River had been our lifeline, solving the irrigation problem for both villages. But now, as the spring dries up, the entire agricultural system is under threat,” he said.

In the past, a single farmer in these villages could irrigate 25 to 30 plots of land. Now, even four or five fields are difficult to manage. Locals believe that adequate snowfall during winter would restore the water level of the Lumbuk River through snowmelt. But the surrounding high mountains, once a dependable source of snow, are now barren.

As a symbolic gesture and act of hope, villagers from Phalyak and Dharkajung reached the Lumbuk Cave on Saturday and performed religious rituals, praying for the restoration of the water source that sustains their agricultural livelihood.