Though the government has already mobilized the NA personnel in 11 national parks and three wildlife reserves in the country, the DHR and MBNP have been left without proper security, thus giving a leeway to smugglers to carry out illegal activities.
Wardens of all the national parks and wildlife reserves assembled sometimes back at Shivapuri National Park in the Kathmandu Valley had stressed the need to deploy the NA personnel at DHR and MBNP. [break]
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has formally announced that it has made necessary preparation to mobilize the NA personnel at the hunting reserve and the national park.
Chief of DHR, Bishwo Babu Shrestha informed that the department has finally agreed to deploy the NA personnel in the hunting reserve following repeated request from the hunting reserve. “It has been learnt that the department has already designed physical infrastructures needed for the posting of army men in the two conservation areas,” said he, adding, preparations are underway to manage accommodation for the NA personnel in the areas.
He said the conservation areas will be guarded by the army within this year.
“In case of the hunting reserve, the NA personnel will be placed next to the main administrative block of the reserve as the security of the areas demands on proper cooperation with the reserve administration. As many as 60 NA personnel will be mobilized in the reserve under the command of a major at the initial phase,” explained he.
Shrestha said the hunting reserve has failed to patrol and guard the areas within the hunting reserve lying in Rukum and Mygadi district due to the lack of sufficient employees for security.
According to him, over 300 hectares of land of the hunting reserve have already been encroached by the locals at different times.
Likewise, many endangered wildlife such as snow leopard and musk deer are reportedly poached by smugglers at MBNP.
Chief of MBNP, Rishi Ranabhat said that the illegal poaching of wildlife and bird species are taking place due to lack of proper security measures and negligence in the part of the employees at Buffer Zone Management Committee of the national park.
He welcomed the department´s decision to deploy NA personnel in the conservation areas.
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