Forest in East at deforestation threat due to random construction of cemented graves

MORANG, Dec 29: As the random construction of concrete graves in various locations across the dense forest in the eastern part of the country continues unabated, the forests in Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts have remained under the threat of deforestation. 

Construction of such graves is rapid in places like Sitapur, Kerkha, Jhiljhile, Dhaijan in Jhapa, Pathari Shanischare, Bayarban, Belbari in Morang and Dharan in Sunsari. 

The District Forest Office (DFO), Morang has it that the concrete graves occupy around some 20 hectares of the total forest land in Morang, measuring 20 kilo metres in length along the East-West Highway. 

A concrete grave occupies some 182.25 square feet to 546.75 square feet. 

The District Forest Offices in Sunasari and Jhap, however, have no record of the land occupied by graveyards. 

While burial is the preferred option among the indigenous nationalities such as Rai, Limbu and Magar following their death, other indigenous populations are also opting for the same as final rites of their deceased lately, locals said. 

In an attempt to regularize the wanton construction of cemented graves in cemetery, some local community forest users groups have started placing notices in various locations urging the locals to plant a tree in the burial sites instead of building the concrete structures while some have barred the public to bury their deceased ones in their areas, said DFO Morang Chief Dr Binod Devkota. 

Some indigenous communities have launched a campaign to build communal graveyards so as to help curb deforestation occurred due to disorganized construction of cemented graves. RSS