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Conservation area sought in Chure

DADELDHURA, JAN 14 -
Stakeholders in Dadeldhura district have demanded that the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation declare the forest area in the Chure hills of the Far Western region a protected area.

Local people, representatives of political parties and authorities concerned met a high-level team from the ministry that inspected the area recently and urged them to either merge the area with the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Kanchanpur or declare it a separate conserved area in the region.

“It is impossible to curb deforestation here until the area is declared a conserved zone,” said social activist Narivan Kami. Pathan Singh Bohara, a national council member of the CPN-UML, said increasing deforestation had risked flood in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts. “It is high time the government took steps to conserve the Chure region,” he said.

Dadeldhura vice-president of Nepali Congress Kailash Pandey informed the high-level team that all the stakeholders had agreed to the idea of declaring the forests a conserved area.

Dipak Gyawali, under-secretary at the ministry, said the area bounded by the Mahakali river on the west, Karnali river on the east, Pantura river on the north and East-West Highway on the south could be declared a conserved area.

The stakeholders also assured the authorities that a settlement having around 1,500 households in the area would not obstruct the process. Bohara said there were several ways to manage the settlement, including its relocation to the Rangun valley.

“A decision will be taken on the issue immediately. Not only the local people, the government is equally responsible for the conservation of the area,” said Krishna Poudel, a joint-secretary at the ministry.

 

Posted on: 2012-01-15 09:39

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