The proposal titled ´Forest Encroachment - Control and Management Strategy,´ has sought a resolution motion in parliament seeking a political commitment from the Constituent Assembly (CA) stating 1) no forest encroachment would be allowed, 2) all encroached areas would be vacated and 3) 40% of forest land would be maintained.
It has further proposed that in case of such unwanted encroachment, there should be “immediate confinement.” Thereafter, it has proposed to try first and foremost “peaceful means” of evacuation and has recommended use of legal force only as a “last option.”Comparing the two incidents of Dang and Kailali, chief, Department of Environment under the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Krishna Chandra Poudel said, “In Dang the evacuation was peacefully conducted in five weeks. But in Kailali there was bloodshed.”
Poudel added, “If we have a strategy paper to deal with such illegal encroachments, things can be handled much more peacefully.”
Another concern expressed in the strategy paper is regarding the function and duty of the forest officials who have not been able to reach all Village Development Committees (VDCs). It has thus called for re-sending all those officials to VDCs who are currently either in city-centers or district headquarters.
“Our officials have to reach the fields now. Government has to ensure that they go back,” Poudel said.
Besides, the DoF has also proposed to speed up the process of renaming the existing District Forest Co-ordination Committee (DFCC) as District Forest Sector Co-ordination Committee (DFSCC). The process to rename and re-modify DFCC is on since the past six months.
“A sector-level committee would co-ordinate more effectively the efforts at district and local levels,” Poudel added.
Similarly, the DoF has proposed to “strengthen” the District Forest Sector Monitoring Committee, which is a multi-stakeholder forum.
The proposal has also come at a time when the government is all set to observe 2010 as Bio-Diversity Year as per UN convention on bio-diversity. The government will launch programs on conservation of bio-diversity next year with the slogan ´Bio-diversity is life; bio-diversity is our life.´
The DoF officials have proposed such a plan also in light of the increasing focus that the state has laid upon climate change issue.
“If climate change is a problem, conservation is a solution,” a Ministry official said on condition of anonymity, adding, “When so much is being said about climate change, we now need to work toward solution and conservation.”
He added, “Given the rise in encroachment of our forest land, a national strategy is a must.”
akanshya@myrepublica.com
Related story
Forest encroachment on the rise in Rautahat
