Deforestation in the name of development draws concern

KATHMANDU, Aug 29: Growing deforestation due to the recent spur in the development works and infrastructural expansion has drawn flak.

Forest stretching over an area of 570,000 hectares was destroyed in 21 years from 2020 BS to 2041 BS. Likewise, 263,000 hectares of forest area was cleaned up in Chure Zone alone from 2022 BS to 2037 BS, according to the Chure Sarokar Samaj Nepal.

If this trend continues in the same rate, the Terai region would turn into a desert in next 20 years.

According to the Samaj, the political parties’ leaders had distributed 356,000 bigaha of land in Terai during the period to serve their vested political interests.
The Samaj further claimed that each family was provided with 2-6 bigaha of land during the period.

Samaj Coordinator Dr Nagendra Yadav said that around 42 per cent people from poor, Dalit and freed Kamaiya community as well as those below poverty line were deprived of access to shelter.

The construction of railway, power transmission line, university, stadium, security camps and airport in the name of development has increased encroachment on the forest area, he claimed.