Earthquake-hit northern villages of Gorkha district are reeling under shortage of essential commodities, including salt, cooking oil and rice.

Uhiya, Kerauja, Chumchet, Bihi and other neighbouring VDCs in the district are facing shortage of salt and cooking oil.

Snowfall since Friday evening in the region has disrupted transportation services.

“We have been using animal fat to cook vegetables, as we don’t have cooking oil,” said Man Bahadur Sunar of Uhiya-5. “We don’t have salt here.”

Locals of Chumchet and Bihi shared similar plight.

Some settlements in Kerauja and Sirdibas VDCs are also forced to make do with salt-less food.

“Salt and cooking oil that we were given as relief earlier are over now. We are left with some rice,” said Maya Ghale of Kerauja-6. “We will soon run out of rice as well.”

According to Santa Bahadur Gurung, a resident of Uhiya, it takes about four days to reach nearest Aarughat Bazaar where they can buy salt.

Locals from these areas have urged representatives of various governmental and non-governmental organisations to take initiatives and do the needful to supply salt and cooking oil.