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Alarm fails to save forests
DANG, JUL 05 -
The warning over fast receding forest cover has fallen on stony ground in Dang. No sooner had lawmakers left for the Capital than smugglers started denuding forests.
A team of parliamentarians formed by Natural Resources and Means under the House was here a week ago to monitor deforestation. During their stay, the lawmakers had rang alarm bells, saying that rampant deforestation going on in Dang may cost the district deadly.
Like earlier tree felling is going on unabated in several community forests in here. District Forest Area Monitoring Committee has found 12 fully grown sal trees felled down in Surya Community Forest in Gobardiha-1.
Committee coordinator and District Forest Officer Kishwor Chandra Gautam said 12 sal trees were felled illegally in the community forest.
“The chopped sal trees were hid in the forest. In many cases, consumers were found involved in cutting down trees,” said Gautam.
Sources said some consumers started felling trees again after the departure of the parliamentary team without any effective measure to control deforestation.
Following the latest discovery of deforestation, the forest monitoring committee has directed District Forest Office, Dang, to take strong action against Surya Community Forest after carrying out necessary investigation. The committee has also decided to discuss with political parties, government authorities and locals to evacuate encroached forest areas.
Meanwhile, Federation of Community Forest User Nepal has demanded investigation into uncontrolled tree felling in the district and legal action against the guilty. It said that any kind of irregularity in community forests under any circumstances is unacceptable to the Federation.
The parliamentary team following its inspection in Deukhuri area had said forest officials, timber smugglers and office bearers of community forests were involved in tree felling.
Posted on: 2010-07-06 08:07
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