The parliamentary team led by lawmaker Ram Kumar Sharma took note of the situation of forests in Dang from stakeholders at Ghorahi on Friday. [break]
The lawmakers met with representatives of District Forest Office, Federation of Community Forest Users of Nepal, Dang, political parties, civil society members, journalists and local administration and discussed about deforestation.
On the occasion, District Forest Officer Kishwar Chandra Gautam informed that trees were being felled by landless under the protection of political parties. “Around 3,680 hectares of forest land have been encroached in 296 places in the district and 200 huts have been erected.”
At the program, the participants said that though the community forests are protected to some extent, the situation of government-managed forests is opposite and warned that if the present rate of deforestation continues, Dang will be converted into “desert” very soon.
A member of the team, Kul Prasad Nepal, said they have already monitored forests of 15 districts. “After Dang, we are going to Banke and Bardiya,” he said. Before Dang, they were in Surkhet.
After completing monitoring of forests in 15 districts, the lawmakers will hold a press conference in Nepalgunj on June 29 to make public their finding.
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