Residents of Geruwa, Bardiya are a worried lot as the Karnal River has been eroding their arable lands every year. The arable land in almost all the wards of Geruwa Rural Municipality has been turning into sandy river banks after the Karnali River changed its course.
Officials from the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), during a discussion titled ‘Water’, had floated some of the problems being faced by the residents of Geruwa Rural Municipality and Sonaha community, a minority fishing community, due to flooding and erosion.
“The Karnali River has changed its course and entered into the human settlements,” said local Krishna Prasad Rimal, 60, of Geruwa Rural Municipality ward No. 6, adding, “Because of which the river has been sweeping our cultivable land. The wild animals have also been entering into the settlements searching for food when the river gushed into the human settlements. We are facing a serious problem.” He asked whether it the duty of the national park to think the problems faced by the locals.
Speaking at the same programme, Dashiram Tharu of Shantipur, Geruwa Rural Municipality Ward No 4 said he was also affected due to the erosion caused by Karnali River.
“Our settlement, which was located at the Gola Rural Municipality, then, was relocated due to erosion. More than 30 bighas of land of our village has been located on the bank of river. We have been paying the tax of our land but we cannot use even a stone of our land,” he said.
Kamal Kumari Tharu of Surkheli in Geruwa Rural Municipality-1 has also been facing the same problem. Tharu said that she has been facing the problem of wild animals along with floods and eroding.
She said, “The embankment constructed by China 20 years ago in our village has been caving in gradually. The river has washed away embankments in many places. Men of our village have to stay awake in the night during the monsoon season. Wild animals destroy crops during the winter season. When we ask for the compensation, the concerned authority does not provide even the half of the loss we suffered. That is why, we have stopped asking for the compensation these days.”
Teacher at the Shahid Primary School of Bagpur Rabindra Gautam said, “We have been operating the school by relocating it to a safer place due to floods, erosion and the threats of wild animals.”
This is just a case in point, the residents of Geruwa Rural Municipality-1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 have also been facing the same problem. The only difference is there is no problem of floods and erosion where there are tall walls.
During the discussion, people of Sonaha community said that their source of livelihood has been snatched. They have expressed their dissatisfaction after the Bardiya National Park imposed ban on fishing and gold mining in the Karnali River.
Bhagiram Sonaha of Rajipur, Geruwa Rural Municipality-2 said that they were the most affected people.
“Though the National Park had given fishing license in the past, it has seized our license after nine months,” he said.
Similarly, Jhappur Sohana of Rajipur, Geruwa Rural Municipality-2 said that the army personnel chase them away when they go to cash fish in the river. The army personnel often arrests, harasses and fine them besides confiscating their fishing nets, boats and other equipment.
Though the leaders had promised to provide many things while asking for votes, they have not done anything after emerging victorious in the elections, he said.
Kallu Sonaha of Ward No -6 said that they are not allowed to enter even in the community forests. He demanded the province assembly members, village chairperson and local representatives not snatch their source of our living.
Local Bharosi Sohana said they were not allowed to winnow sand for little gain (one lal) of gold. Sonaha community is a dying group of traditional gold miners who for generations have been living on the banks of the Karnali River.
Though the National Park had provided us two goats for living, the goats were not enough to sustain our life, he said.
Most of the people who floated their opinions during the programme said that the problem would not be resolved until the government amends the National Park Act and Bardiya National Park Regulations.
Addressing the programme, Geruwa Rural Municipality Chairman Guman Singh KC said that erosion of arable and terror of wild animals are the main problems the people of his rural municipality are facing.
He said the problem will not be ironed out until the government separates the border of National Park and Rural Municipality.
“Our only demand is that the border of National Park and Rural Municipality should be clearly demarcated. Though the National Park is positive on the issue, the problem will not be solved until the government amends the Act,” he said.
He said they have been facing the problem as the Bardiya National Park Regulations 2053 have stated that the Karnali River borders the western region of the park.
“People of other municipalities and rural municipalities are eking out their living by collecting pebbles and extracting sand from rivulets,” said Rural Municipality Chairman KC. “Locals are now allowed to collect a single stone from their 650 bighas of land.”
Saying that he was aware about the problems the Geruawa Rural Municipality has been facing, Province Assembly member of Province 5 Dipesh Tharu said he would do his best to take the people out of their problem.
“I have demanded time and again in the Parliament that the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 should be amended to stop the terror of wild animals and erosion,” he said.
“I think that all the problems will be resolved once the government amends this Act,” he said, “I will leave no to stone unturned from my side for the same.”
He said the Sonaha Community has not been enlisted as the indigenous community but there is no one to prepare script of their language. He said that he will inform the local, province and central government about the issue soon.
“As we have to work according to the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029 and Bardiya National Park Regulations 2053, the problem will not be resolved until the Act and Regulations are amended,” Baridya National Park Ranger Harsha Bahadur Singh said.
He said the National Park will install barbed wire in coordination with the rural Municipality and impart skill trainings and provide goats to the Sohana Community as alternative means of living.
Speaking at the programme, Karnali River Management Project Engineer Ananda Lal Shah said that they were not able to work properly due to lack of fund.
“We don’t have sufficient fund and are forced to work in the risky area,” Shah said, adding,” We have lack of budget to call tender for another project as well. We will be able to construct embankments in all the places if we get funds after the completion of environmental impact assessment.”
Chairmen of ward No 3, 5 and 6 and representatives of other wards under the Geruwa Rural Municipality were present in the programme.
Ward No 6 Chairman and Chairman of Buffer Zone Management Committee Tek Bahadur Chaudhary said that a 36-km electric fence has been installed with a budget of around Rs 10 million to stop the terror of wild animals.
He said that they are also planning to install RCC camera in seven places to keep track of the movement of wild animals and find ways to prevent them from entering human settlements. A six-point commitment was signed in the programme.
