The report was released by National Vigilance Center (NVC) in the capital Sunday at a time when the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation has claimed that no illegal tree cutting has taken place during the same period. [break]
The report based on field study carried by NVC claimed that massive tree cutting has taken place in a planned manner in almost all forest areas in the Tarai region and in dense forest areas in the Hills.
At a press conference on Sunday, the NVC said trees have been slaughtered in Morang, Sunsari, Siraha, Udayapur, Sarlahi, Bara, Rautahat, Kaski, Kapilvastu, Dang, Surkhet, Banke, Doti, Kanchanpur and Dadeldhura districts under administrative and political protection.
On Saturday, Forest Minister Deepak Bohara had said in an interview with BBC Radio that he will retire from politics he is found to have been involved in illegal tree cutting.
The Center has revealed that the forests have been destroyed by taking advantage of the transitional period facing the country. It said that illegal cutting and smuggling of woods has happened in conjunction with local administration in most places and in other places carried out in absolute secrecy.
The NVC report stated that most trees have been cut in Sarlahi, followed by Kailali.
NVC chief, Tana Gautam, informed that of the 2,750 hector forest land in Sagarnath of Sarlahi just a year ago, only 50 hector is remaining now. “Deforestation is increasing all over the country,” the report stated.
Gautam also said that in Sarlahi the smugglers have secretly constructed more than five km long track inside forest for illegal export of woods. Sources revealed similar situation in Kailali.
The Center also said that in many forest areas, including Sarlahi, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, Kailali and Dadheldhura, majority of sal trees are left barren and isolated so that it could be cut in the pretext of being dry sometime later.
“The forests which were thick just a year back is now so slim that we can see from one end of the forest to the other,” Gautam said quoting the study team´s conclusion.
The Center said it is surprised that the local administration is unaware of the construction of the five km road in the Chisapani area of Parwanipur in Sarlahi district.
The NVC has alerted the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and other government agencies over necessary action against deforestation. NVC works for control of slackness, irregularities and misappropriation in public offices.
“Our job is to make the concerned agencies aware of such irregularities,” Gautam told myrepublica.com, adding, “We do not have the right to take action, so we have written to CIAA to do the needful.”
He, however, complained that th2e concerned agencies are not showing “positive” response to take action against the culprits in cases of irregularities, including deforestation activities.
According to Gautam, the citizens are totally dissatisfied with the services delivered by the government agencies. He said complains are high that they have to bribe even to get routine works done.
“15.41 percent clients have complained that they have to bribe the officers all the time,” Gautam said.
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