About 500 more families are still living in the forest, and the DFO is trying to persuade them to leave too. [break]
The families erected shelters and settled in the forest area after being displaced from Shankarpur and Dekhatbhuli VDCs three years ago following flooding by the Macheli and Doda rivers. A total of 677 families were displaced by the flood.
A month ago, the DFO instructed them to leave the forest area. The DFO has also given instructions to destroy the shelters as it has led to deforestation.
The settlers say they settled on an elevated land in the forest area as they were advised to do so by leaders of several political parties.
The flooding by Macheli and Doda rivers in October, 2008, destroyed the houses and fields of most of the families living in Shankarpur and Dekhatbhuli VDCs. They entered the forest after being unable to find any shelter.
“We sought help from political leaders,” said Panmati Rana, who was displaced from Shankarpur-3. “They told us to stay in the forest, and said no one would object to it.”
Rana complained that the families have faced the plight as authorities did not pay attention on time to deal with the problem of the displaced.
Santu Dagaura, who was displaced from Shankarpur-1, said smugglers are felling trees while the settlers have been blamed for it. He alleged that many political leaders are making a lot of money by providing political cover to timber smugglers.
More than 90 percent of settlers in Laljhadi forest are Tharus, and Chaudharys.
The DFO started to clear the forest area after the one-month evacuation notice expired.
“One hundred and forty families have already demolished their shelters,” said Ramesh Chand, the district forest officer. “They are leaving on their own. We have not used force.”
For the past three years, the displaced were living in the area.
Chand said the DFO has made an arrangement to resettle the displaced on unclaimed land near the forest.
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