Dadeldhura, Feb 25: Sustained collection of resin from chir pine (pinus roxburghii) trees in Dadeldhura has put pine forests at risk of extinction.
Resin extraction from pine forests going on in the district for the past 40 years has contributed to deforestation as well.
Almost all pine trees in the district have started drying up due to the continuous resin tapping. Such long practice has pushed 75 percent of pine forests towards the brink of extinction, according to District Forest Officer Indramani Bhandari.
Pine forests of Baitadi not fine
Industries involved in this business have not even followed the simple guidelines for resin tapping. Resin extraction is taking place from two or more than two points of a single tree, trees chosen for resin tapping are not properly nurtured and even mother trees are used for resin harvest, which is a violation of guidelines for resin collection.
Resin collection business in the district has proved a means of forest deforestation instead of benefitting the community, said one Govinda Raj Pandey of Amargadhi Municipality-2 who is also the member of the Airdhunga Community Forest Users' Group.
Divya Resin and Turpentine Pvt Limited and Bhawani Chemicals Pvt Limited are involved in the resin collection business here. Every year, 4,000 metric tonnes of resin is harvested in the district. Resin tapping business is in place in Doti, Accham, Baitadi and Bajhang as well.
Trees used for resin extraction are not even given proper treatment after extraction and haphazard collection is taking place in the district, shared one Yagyaraj Joshi of Amargadhi.
Local forest users' here are worried about the degrading situation of pine forests. They demand the authorities concerned systematise the resin tapping so as to keep pine forests alive. The market price of a kilogramme of pine resin is Rs 80 and this business is taking place in 132 community and government forests.
