DHANGADHI:: Pine trees of Kailali district are on verge of extinction due to the illegal extraction of resin for four decades. The hills in the area are bare sans trees owing to the raisin extraction, leading to deforestation and fire.
The lands without trees are prone to landslides. Many settlements at Mohanyal Rural Municipality have been displaced due to landslides. Though resin can be extracted as per environment impact assessment (EIA), deforestation is in rise because of resin extraction against the set standards.
The raisin is extracted in involvement of officials of community forests, forest office and contractors. They want to kill the trees by extracting resin and setting fire in order to sell woods as living tree is not allowed to cut down and sell. Fire destroyed the saplings and caused deforestation.
Officials of community forests, forest office and contractors are used to misuse rules for double exploitation of forests, said Bhavani Prasad Giri of Pandaun-1.
Dabal Bohora, forest officer at Khanidanda area forest office, admitted that the raisin was found extracted against the set standards. “We directed the community forest users committees to stop illegal resin extraction. The Department of Forests should take initiative to stop illegal exploitation,” he added.
According to Forests Act, raising extraction is allowed from a tree of 36 inch round by removing bark of tree with 16×16 inches wound only along a part. Only 3 liters of resin can be collected from a tree in a year in an interval of four months and wound should be covered by mud and dung. However, the collectors do not abide by these rules.
Locals blamed Divya Raisin and Turpentine for extracting resin against rules. First, they extract raisin and then kill the trees for selling woods, said an official.
Bohora termed the allegation as only a doubt. “The locals do not give priority to pine trees and they do not object such activities and stop them,” he claimed. “We just monitor as community forest signs agreement with contractor. Only the dead trees are cut while fire is less happened this year.”
He further said if locals are interested, illegal activities can be stopped. “Deforestation is in rise,” he said.
Puja Devi Budhamagar, vice chair of Mohanyal Rural Municipality, said that EIA was suggested to carry out but not implemented. “We have to restrict raisin extraction. Some wards such as 2, 3 and 6 of Mohanyal Rural Municipality have prohibited resin extraction,” she said. “This concern is raised in the municipal meeting also.”
Similarly, illegal extraction is also going on at Chure Rural Municipality. They are unaware of places where resin is extracted, said Dhan Bahadur Rokamagar, chief of Chure Rural Municipality.
The authorities have failed to regulate illegal resin extraction, which was opened in the name of employment. The existence of Chure forest will fall at stake in some years because of such negligence. District Forest Office also has admitted illegal extraction of resin.
“Now, we need to preserve the forest as per resting period principle by ceasing the resin extraction,” said district forest officer Pokhrel. Out of total area of Kailali district, 64.83 percent is covered by forests while 45 percent of forests is located at Chure range.
