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Smuggled Nepali timber helps build Tibetan houses
KHOCHARGUMBA, DEC 24 - There are no forests as far as 100 kilometres on either side of the Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, one is surprised to find timber used extensively on the doors of the mud-built houses here.
In fact, these houses offer clear evidences of the rampant deforestation that is taking place in Nepal’s Himalayan range. Houses in entire settlements in Tibet use wood smuggled from Nepal across the border.The timber is smuggled by Nepalis living in the Himalayan region. There are Tibetan accomplices helping in the smuggling. According to a Nepali resident of Taklakot Thanka, the timber comes from Muchuban of Humla, another forest in Bajhang and the Tinkar community forest of Darchula. The wood is smuggled via Udailek and Lipu Bhanjyang. The absence of Nepali government authorities in the borders between the western Himalayan districts and Tibet has encouraged smuggling.
According to Yogendra Prasad Shah, district forest officer of Darchula, the authorities have not been able to contain the smuggling due to security reasons.
"As long as the security situation is not improved, controlling smuggling is not possible," he said. Shah also held lack of trained manpower as the reason behind the unchecked smuggling operations.
"Tell me, who would be willing to go to forests that you can reach only after a week-long walk?" he asked, adding that the forest authority has only few elderly rangers.
Meanwhile, Tibetans are upbeat about being able to use Nepali timber in their houses.
"We can’t help it as we don’t have forests here," said a Tibetan woman who runs a shop outside Khochargumba. "We need wood from Nepal to build the doors for our houses." She recently procured additional timber for adding another floor to her house.There are over 1,000 houses in the 100-kilometre stretch extending from Mansarovar to Khochargumba. All the houses feature artistic doors and ceilings of wood. However, the window ~ ~ extensively feature glass and metal, as wood is a rare commodity. Meanwhile, in the over hundred-year-old Nepali Mandi Thanka, even the earthen stoves do not see fire in absence of wood from Nepal.
"Previously, wood was extensively smuggled from Darchula," said Dilip Singh Karki, a businessman in Thanka, Tibet. "After the conversion of Tinkar forest three years ago into a community forest, the smuggling is somewhat contained," he added.
For a cartload of wood that comes from the trees felled in the Tinkar forest, the authorities collect Rs. 5 in tax. A cart can hold as much as 60 kilos of wood. The wood upon reaching Tibet is sold at Rs. 15 per kilo, which makes smuggling a very lucrative business.
According to locals, there has been no inspection from forest authorities in the Tinkar forest for the last two years. According to Dirgha Singh Bohara, who arrived in Tibet from Bajhang to buy salt, big Tibetan businessmen are involved in the timber smuggling.
"In addition to wood and timber, animal skins and medicinal herbs are also exported from Nepal to Taklakot," he said. The distance from the Himalayan districts and Taklakot is a one-day walk.Posted on: 2003-12-25 05:25
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