MAHOTTARI : “The state has been doing a lot of experiments in the forests of Bara district. But they resulted in deforestation, land encroachment, change in the nature and shape of the river, soil erosion and accumulation of sand. And now it is selling a dream but no reliable information has been heard about the disaster it would invite,” wrote Madhes-based journalist and analyst Chandra Kishor Jha on his facebook post.
The authorities have been preparing to cut down 2450,000 trees in Nijgadh, Bara, in the name of building international airport. Thousands of trees have already been felled in the name of Kathmandu-Terai expressway road project. In his social media post, Jha was expressing his views about the impacts of various experiments done in Terai forests, and the disaster likely to be invited by the dream of international airport.
The deforestation in Chure region, northern side along the East-West highway, directly affects the southern part of the highway. The impact of deforestation, unscientific extraction of sand, gravel and stones is being seen at the Jangaha bride that connects Aaurahi and Gaushala municipality of Mahottari district.
The huge bridge has been facing the risk of being destroyed due to the flow of flood water.
A new bridge has been built after the Ratu Bridge connecting Mahottari-Dhanusha was destroyed three years ago. The new bridge will be operational soon. The Dhalkawar-Jaleshwor-Bardibas road was used as an alternative road after the repeated floods three years ago made it impossible for movement even through diversion.
Gopal Jha, of Ekdara, said the people living on the southern belt tend to be terrified when the Meteorological Forecasting Division issues public notice about the possibility of water level rising at Ratu River. Like every year, people are talking about scientific forest along with the chances of floods at Ratu, Jangaha, Madaha, Aaurahi, Hardi, and Aankushi River.
Besides the risk of floods, people living in the southern belt of Mahottari are terrified because of the notice about destruction of forests in the name of scientific forest.
District Coordination Committee Chairman Suresh Prasad Singh says the scientific forest program will add risk to the people living in the southern side of the highway. He opines that the felling of trees will destroy the other growing plants in the forest and deplete the underground water level.
Responding to questions raised during a symposium on ‘Environment Protection Awareness’ organized at Jaleshwor in the last week of June, Joint Secretary Nandalal Raya Yadav dodged the question saying he would comment on the issue later.
The 55th annual report of the Attorney General has written on page 269 that the Ministry has not provided its record of investment profit analysis through scientific forest management.
On the other hand, the people living in the southern region have been facing water shortage during summer and flood mess during monsoon as the President Chure Conservation Program has not been effective.
