GAIGHAT, OCTOBER 23

Timber worth millions has started decaying at a community forest due to a prolonged legal battle in the court, in Udayapur.

Sita Pokhari Community Forest had cut down 10,000 cubic feet of timber to distribute to forest users in Ward No 2 of Katari Municipality in the month of September, 2010.

One week later, local Man Kumari Bhujel filed a case against forest officials with District Court, Udayapur, saying that they had harmed the forest and trees. The court had halted the sale and distribution of the timber.

The case then reached the appellate court and finally the high court.

Four years later, the court gave clean chit to forest officials, but timber has not been distributed to forest users yet.

Community forest users' committee Chairman Ram Prasad Gautam said that some timber had gone missing while some had decayed.

'Due to the court case, timber worth millions has become a total waste,' Gautam added.

A version of this article appears in the print on October 24, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.