Amalachaur

Amalachaur
—  Village development committee  —
Amalachaur
Location in Nepal
Coordinates:
Country  Nepal
Zone Dhawalagiri Zone
District Baglung District
Population (1991)
 • Total 5,055
 • Religions Hindu
Time zone Nepal Time (UTC+5:45)

Amalachaur is a village development committee in Baglung District in the Dhawalagiri Zone of central Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 5,055 and had 943 houses.[1] On 10 November 2005, at midnight, an educator at Prithvi Higher Secondary School was kidnapped by suspected Maoists in Amalachaur. As of 2 December 2005, the victim was still being held in captivity.

Geography and economy

Amalachaur is located at an altitude of 1100 metres and covers an area of 35 hectares.[2] The village itself, lies on the western bank of the Kali Gandaki River. Approaching Amalachaur requires walking for an hour from Kusma along a mule trail. The economy is mostly based around agriculture and is farmed by 102 households (625 people).[2] As in the neighbouring irrigated communities, the vast majority of farmers are of Brahmin descent. The average landholding size is 0.34 ha, slightly below average for Baglung district which is 0.41 ha.[2] The 1–2 km irrigation system in Amalachaur, fed by the Dhapa River, a tributary of the Kali Gandaki, is crucial for the livelihoods of the people and was built over a hundred years ago.[2] In 1992-1993, Dhaulagiri Irrigation Development Project improved this system. The main crops grown are maize and paddy, and to a lesser extent, potatoes and vegetables.[2] The closest market centre is at Kusmi Sera or Kusma, which the villagers of Amalachaur are largely dependent on for services.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Nepal Census 2001". Nepal's Village Development Committees. Digital Himalaya. http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/nepalcensus/form.php?selection=1. Retrieved 2008-08-23. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f Torsten Rødel Berg. "Irrigation Management in Nepal’s Dhaulagiri Zone: Institutional Responses to Social, Political and Economic Change". SPIRIT – Doctoral Programme, Aalborg University. http://vbn.aau.dk/fbspretrieve/18624383/spirit_phd_series_16_berg.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-13.