KATHMANDU, Feb 9: Experts and Chure enthusiasts have labeled the government's attempt to dissolve the 'President Chure Terai–Madhesh Conservation Development Committee' and bring it under the Ministry of Forests and Environment as a 'conspiracy to destroy the Chure.'
Experts in forestry and the environment argue that dissolving the committee and bringing it under the ministry, instead of making it autonomous and powerful, would promote the exploitation of the Chure. Chure expert Dr Bijay Singh, commenting on the Ministry of Forests and Environment's process to dissolve the President Chure Committee, said, "If this process succeeds, the destruction of Chure’s timber, stones, gravel, sand, and soil will exceed all limits, and the Chure will be lost."
Dr Singh is concerned that the Terai region will turn into a desert, and the entire country will suffer the negative consequences.
He said, "It is unfortunate that the government is introducing policies to destroy and eliminate the Chure instead of protecting it. The government should avoid actions that harm the Terai and the country. If this happens, the Chure will cease to exist. Without the Chure, the Terai’s water supply will be depleted, and the region will struggle without water."
Dr Singh explained that the Chure is the country’s most sensitive and important young mountain, focused on conservation. He emphasized that this delicate mountain cannot endure exploitation and disruption. "We must abandon the idea of exploiting the Chure for profit and concentrate solely on its conservation," he said.
The Chure region spans 37 districts in the Terai-Madhesh and covers 12.78 percent of the total land area. Fifty-four percent of the country's population, living in the Terai-Madhesh, relies on the Chure for their livelihood. The Chure serves as the lifeline for the people of the Terai-Madhesh.
"Rather than placing the committee under the department or ministry, we should strengthen it. We need to focus on how to make it work independently and autonomously by employing skilled personnel," Singh said.
He stated that the first President, Dr Ram Baran Yadav, took the initiative to form the committee for the first time with subject-specific and skilled individuals. He added that recent political appointments have caused dissatisfaction and controversy.
Dr Singh emphasized the need to review the committee's effectiveness in Parliament and create laws to bring in more autonomous, independent, and capable individuals. Former Minister of Forests and Environment Mahesh Acharya has called for discussions with experts regarding the process of bringing the committee under the ministry and department.
Imperfect decisions in Chure conservation or any laxity in its protection will benefit only those who profit from the illegal extraction and trade of Chure resources. "Any delay in the conservation campaign will benefit those who exploit Chure through illegal extraction and trade. I request that extensive discussions with experts take place before making any decisions on this matter," the appeal stated.
Acharya said that rumors about the government planning to scrap the previously initiated legal and institutional arrangements for Chure conservation have raised concerns across the country.
International recognition has praised Nepal for its achievements in forest resources and biodiversity conservation. Various bilateral projects with neighboring India and China have connected Nepal to the global carbon trade network. Through ISIMOD, the world has acknowledged Nepal's commitment to environmental conservation. Nepal must not lose its identity and efforts in this area. A decline in the government’s commitment to Chure conservation and a reduction in its priorities would send a damaging message internationally, causing significant harm to the country.
Formation and purpose of the Committee
Nepal's first president, Dr Ram Baran Yadav, initiated the formation of the 'President Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation Development Committee,' based on the recommendation of then Minister of Forests and Environment Mahesh Acharya. Then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala approved its formation.
Following Minister Acharya's recommendation, the government issued the 'President Chure-Terai Madhesh Conservation Development Committee (Formation) Order 2071 BS' on June 16, 2014, exercising the authority granted by Section 3 of the Development Committee Act, 2013.
The government decided to immediately halt Chure extraction, impose a ban on the export of stones, gravel, and sand, and declare the region spanning 37 districts from eastern Mechi to western Mahakali, including the inner hills and the Terai-Madhesh, as a 'Chure Conservation Area.' It implemented these three decisions right away.
The government appointed former Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Rameshwar Khanal, as the first chairman of the committee. During his tenure, the committee developed and implemented a 20-year master plan for Chure conservation.
The committee currently employs 124 staff members, though not all positions have been filled. The central office is in Khumaltar, and the committee also operates five sectoral offices outside the valley. Through these offices, the committee implements its programs.
Uncontrolled and illegal crusher industries operated in the Chure region. Some of these industries lacked permits and violated government standards. In certain cases, the industries were located within the Chure hills. These industries sourced their raw materials from the excessive extraction of Chure stones and gravel. This activity led to the destruction of the Chure, resulting in problems such as drying water sources, declining water levels, a weakened agricultural system in the Terai, and increased issues like untimely floods and drought.
The sand was covering the fertile agricultural land in the Terai, leading to a decline in food production. The parliamentary committee of the first Constituent Assembly highlighted the need for Chure conservation by submitting a field study report to the government. At that time, the Chure's natural resources (stones, gravel, sand) were being exported abroad. The committee prepared and submitted a report, showing that the country was facing more losses than gains from this activity.
In this context, the Government of Nepal launched the "President Chure-Conservation Program" as a campaign starting from the fiscal year 2009/10. Recognizing that Chure conservation is a multi-dimensional, multi-stakeholder issue, the government coordinated its implementation. On June 16, 2014, the government issued the "President Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation Development Committee Formation Order 2071 BS," using the authority granted by Section 3 of the Development Committee Act, 2013. By declaring the Chure as a protected area through legislation, the government effectively controlled the uncontrolled exploitation in the Chure region.
Government's ongoing vulture-like gaze on Chure
Stakeholders argue that the government has made the committee formed for Chure conservation ineffective, pushing it to the brink of dissolution. Despite this, the government has initiated the process to dissolve the committee. Previously, the government had prepared a strategy through policies and programs aimed at destroying the Chure. Last year, it began enacting laws to sell Nepal's Chure, setting the process of its destruction in motion.
Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat included points 42 and 61 in the government's policies and programs, which mention the extraction and export of riverine stones, gravel, and sand. Experts in the Chure region interpret these two points as key objectives aimed at destroying the Chure.
Chure expert Dr Bijay Singh explained that the goal behind these points was to create a favorable environment for selling the Chure, a vital resource for addressing the Terai's water needs. In response, former President Yadav met with President Ram Chandra Paudel to draw attention to the matter.
In the previous government, then-Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel proposed selling Nepal's stones and sand to India. Point number 199 of the budget speech called for opening the export of stones, gravel, and sand.
According to Singh, environmental experts strongly opposed this provision, and the Supreme Court issued an order to stop the export of riverine materials. As a result, the previous government's export plan was abandoned due to significant opposition at the time.
After the opposition, the government decided to extract stones only from the Mahabharat region, ensuring that the Chure would remain unaffected. The government had proposed extracting stones from 92 locations at that time. "The government claimed it would extract stones and sand from these 92 locations and sells them abroad without impacting the Chure," Dr Singh says. "However, all the designated locations were connected to the Chure."
Due to the opposition, the government did not implement the decision, and the plan was halted last year following a Supreme Court order. Now, as the government attempts to dissolve the committee, former President and environmental experts have voiced their concerns. Dr Singh noted that stakeholders are now actively advocating for the protection of the Chure, as the threat to it has become increasingly urgent.
Why the concern for Chure?
When the topic of the Chure arises, it sparks widespread concern, reflection, and debate. In response to the question of how the entire country would be affected if the Chure region is destroyed, Chure expert Dr Bijay Singh explains, "The Chure region is the youngest, most fragile, and weakest mountain range, formed by materials that have flowed down from the Himalayan mountain range, located at the southernmost part."
The Chure range stretches 800 kilometers from east to west, with a width ranging from 10 to 50 kilometers. Formed about 40 million years ago during the formation of the Himalayas, it is the youngest mountain range created by the accumulation of riverine materials. The Chure range, also known as the Shivalik Hills, extends from the Indore River in Pakistan in the west to the Brahmaputra River in India in the east, as stated on the website of the President Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation Development Committee.
Experts consider this area highly sensitive due to its loose, unweathered sedimentary rocks and the rivers originating from the Mahabharat range, which flow through the Chure and down into the Terai.
Immediately after the Chure, the Bhawar region follows, leading into the flat plains of the Terai, known as the food basket. Dr Singh, a Chure expert, explains that the natural resources provided by the Chure sustain the Terai; without them, both the region and its people would face significant risks.
The mountains' accumulated snow serves as the primary water reservoir, while the Chure and Bhabhar regions function as underground water reservoirs for the Terai. "What is unique here is that some rivers are seasonal. They only carry water during the monsoon season, and dry up at other times. However, water remains beneath these dry riverbeds," says Dr Singh, who has conducted special studies on the rivers of the Chure. He explains that, except during the monsoon season, underground water is the main source for the Terai, made possible by the Chure. "Water from the Chure flows into underground reservoirs, which is crucial for our food supply," he adds.
The land of the Bhabhar region, which lies immediately after the Chure hills, is remarkable. It absorbs and stores water, which is later used for various purposes when it reaches the flatter Terai below. "The Chure is the lifeline of the Terai," says Dr Singh. "Once it is depleted, life in the Terai will cease."
The government has taken steps in Chure conservation. Since 2009, it has initiated the President Chure Conservation Program. In June 2014, the government formed the President Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation Development Committee and declared it a conservation area. Under the guidance of this development committee, the Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation and Management Master Plan, 2017, was developed.
Dr Singh, a former member of the President Chure Terai-Madhesh Conservation Development Committee, said, "The Council of Ministers approved the master plan, which created a multi-dimensional strategy for the conservation and development of the Chure region." The master plan addresses various aspects, including environmental protection, river system management, agricultural systems, and biodiversity.
The plan also outlines a framework for the Chure region's comprehensive development over the next 20 years, with an estimated cost of Rs 2.5 trillion. It suggests investing nearly 81 billion rupees in the first five years, Rs 67 billion in the next five years, and Rs 51 billion and Rs 49 billion for various sectors. However, the proposed investments have not materialized as outlined in the master plan.
The extensive extraction during the construction of India's national highways degraded the Chure, prompting the government to declare it a conservation area under Section 10 (1), of the Environment Protection Act. The government then decided to halt the extraction of Chure's stones, gravel, and sand starting from July 17, 2014. Since then, the committee has legally prohibited the extraction of Chure's stones and gravel. However, after the government dissolved the committee, concerns about the future of the Chure have emerged from various sectors.