KATHMANDU, Oct 14: Natural disasters, disrupted roads and rising prices have dampened Dashain celebrations this year, forcing many families to cut spending and prioritize essential goods over festive shopping.
Floods and landslides in Rasuwa on August 26, along the Kaligandaki Corridor from September 25 to 27, and in Gorkha on October 11 have disrupted transportation, supply chains and local economies. The damage has affected not only disaster-hit communities but also markets, businesses and household budgets elsewhere.
Road disruptions have delayed the movement of goods to Kathmandu and other markets, forcing traders to use alternative routes and incur additional transportation costs. These difficulties have added pressure on the supply of essential commodities, including cooking gas, during one of the busiest shopping seasons of the year.
Dashain is traditionally marked by new clothes, festive meals and family reunions. This year, however, many households are spending more on daily necessities while cutting back on traditional celebrations.
Rising costs force families to cut spending
Demand for food grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, clothes, footwear and household goods typically rises during Dashain. Supply disruptions can intensify price pressures, although production costs, import prices, fuel expenses, seasonal demand and distribution systems also influence market prices.
Consumers say they are spending more on essentials such as cooking oil, lentils, vegetables and meat despite little or no increase in their incomes. Daily-wage earners, small business operators and families dependent on fixed incomes are particularly affected.
Some households have limited purchases to necessities instead of buying new clothes for their children, preparing elaborate meals or giving money to relatives. Others have postponed clothing purchases until next year or reduced the quantities of meat and other ingredients used in festive meals. Some families have reportedly borrowed money to celebrate Dashain.
Prem Lal Maharjan, chairperson of the National Consumers’ Forum Nepal and a consumer rights activist, said rising prices could change not only purchasing decisions but also how people celebrate festivals.
Crowded markets do not necessarily indicate greater purchasing power, according to Maharjan. Many shoppers compare prices, prioritize necessities and reduce expenses rather than buying everything they want.
The slowdown in consumer spending also affects small shopkeepers, transport workers, temporary employees and businesses that depend on seasonal demand. Disasters can further hurt local economies by damaging stocks, interrupting supplies and reducing people's ability to spend.
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Floods disrupt trade and transportation
Natural disasters damage not only homes, farmland, roads and bridges but also the networks that carry goods from production centres to markets. Landslides and damaged bridges can strand cargo vehicles, while detours increase travel time, fuel consumption and transportation costs. These additional expenses can eventually be passed on to consumers.
The August 26 flood in the Bhotekoshi River area of Rasuwa severely damaged infrastructure around Rasuwagadhi, a major Nepal-China trade crossing. Traders faced difficulties transporting goods arriving from China, affecting supplies of clothes, footwear, electronic goods and food items brought in for Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.
According to preliminary assessments by the National Planning Commission and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), total damage and economic losses from the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods reached approximately Rs 408 billion.
Heavy rainfall from September 25 to 27 triggered major landslides in Manang, Mustang, Myagdi and Parbat, disrupting the Kaligandaki Corridor and other mountainous routes. The damage also raised concerns about transportation towards the Korala border crossing.
Disruptions at Rasuwagadhi and the Tatopani-Khasa crossing in Sindhupalchok further affected trade with China. Delays in transportation and customs clearance complicated the movement of festival goods, including clothes and electric vehicles.
Some consumers have complained that traders increased prices of goods already in stock amid supply disruptions. However, reopening roads does not immediately restore normal supplies. Stranded cargo must be transported, damaged infrastructure repaired and distribution networks restored.
Disaster-hit families face a harder festival
For families who have lost relatives, homes or livelihoods in recent disasters, Dashain has brought little opportunity for celebration. Their immediate concerns are safe shelter, regular meals and rebuilding their lives rather than new clothes and tika.
Money set aside for the festival may instead have to cover relief and recovery expenses. The effects of disasters therefore extend beyond physical damage, placing additional pressure on household finances and livelihoods.
A flood in the Chumanuwri area of Gorkha at around 4:30 am on October 11 caused further damage along the Budhi Gandaki River. Before the flood, a dry landslide in the Ungilung stream had blocked the river's flow. Water accumulated temporarily before surging downstream, damaging houses, suspension bridges and a camp associated with a hydropower project.
The flood, carrying debris and large boulders, also damaged the bridge and road at Arughat connecting Gorkha and Dhading. Authorities urged residents in downstream areas to remain alert.
Damage to roads and bridges has made it harder to transport patients to hospitals, deliver food and take agricultural produce to markets. Such disruptions can reduce earnings, increase the cost of basic goods and delay the recovery of local businesses even after floodwaters recede.
Government intensifies market monitoring
The government has stepped up inspections to prevent artificial shortages, fraud and unusual price increases during Dashain, Tihar and Chhath.
The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection (DoCSCP) said it had increased monitoring to ensure the availability of consumer goods and improve supply management.
Director General Ritesh Kumar Shakya said around 10 teams were being deployed daily for inspections in the Kathmandu Valley. An additional 50 staff members from the ministry and its subordinate agencies had also been mobilized.
Inspection teams are dispatched immediately when complaints or information about fraud or artificial shortages are received, Shakya said.
The monitoring involves the DoCSCP, the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, the Department of Livestock Services (DoLS), district administration offices, local governments and relevant provincial agencies. Committees formed under the Consumer Protection Act and led by assistant chief district officers are also conducting routine inspections and responding to complaints.
Authorities are focusing on stock availability, supply conditions and product quality, particularly as transportation difficulties and increased seasonal demand create pressure on markets.
Efforts to ease gas shortages
The DoCSCP said disruptions along major highways leading to Kathmandu and at northern customs points had affected the distribution of cooking gas and other essential goods.
To ease gas shortages, consumers have been allowed to use gas from alternative brands instead of relying exclusively on a single company. Officials are also discussing longer-term options, including government-led gas distribution and changes to cylinder sizes and brand management.
The department is collecting stock information from sugar producers and suppliers as demand rises during the festive season. It said Salt Trading Corporation and the Food Management and Trading Company (FMTC) had reported sufficient stocks.
The FMTC is also operating subsidized-price outlets through around 190 sales centres to help consumers access essential goods at affordable prices.
Authorities are monitoring meat prices in coordination with the DoLS Services following complaints about rising costs, Shakya said.
The FMTC has not brought goats and mountain goats, known as chyangra, to Kathmandu for sale this year, making it more difficult to establish a price benchmark. Authorities are instead estimating potential meat prices based on the selling prices of live goats, according to the department.
For lower-income families, higher meat prices can mean smaller festive meals or foregoing traditional purchases altogether.
Dashain is more than a season for shopping; it is also an opportunity to strengthen family and community ties. This year's experience shows how disasters can affect not only vulnerable settlements but also markets, jobs and household kitchens across the country.
Ensuring reliable supplies, preventing unjustified price hikes, restoring damaged infrastructure and supporting disaster-hit livelihoods will be essential to easing the burden on consumers and helping families celebrate with greater security.