Parbat - The people of Dhaulagiri face long hikes in the scorching summer heat after the Maoists blockaded the Baglung-Pokhara highway for eight days. Fifteen years after this artery opened, locals are once again forced to walk more than 40km to get to Pokhara. "It's the same nightmare I experienced years ago, travelling on foot to Kusma," says Dhan Kumar Thapa, a Baglung native who works in India's Gujurat. Thapa had to hire a taxi to Lumle and then walk seven hours to reach his destination.

Buses ply up to Lumle. From this point people can be seen trudging along, burdened with heavy luggage. Children fare much worse in the heat. The Maoists threaten taxi and bus drivers who dare to bring the people this far. Some even have their keys taken.

Each step is misery. Those who are unable to walk beyond Kusma, the district headquarters, have to stay in a lodge, biding their time untill they can get through safely between the battling rebels and the security forces. Worst of all, shops are closed and food supplies are dipping low. The schools have been shut for the past six days because the students are afraid to attend classes.