SIRAHA, JUNE 16

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' advocated for collaboration and cooperation among the three-tier government, local communities, and authorities in conserving the Chure region.

Speaking at a tree plantation programme commemorating the 10th Chure Conservation Day, the Prime Minister said that the conservation of the Chure is a multifaceted issue connecting to the livelihoods of Tarai-Madhesh people. He stressed the necessity of combined efforts for its preservation.

Highlighting the need to implement the 20-year Chure Tarai-Madhesh Conservation and Management Master Plan endorsed in 2074 BS, with subsequent amendments, the Prime Minister said the need for a dedicated act on the Chure conservation has been realised and the government is coordinating towards that end.

He praised the successful afforestation programme, speaking of its positive impact on raising awareness about forest and wildlife conservation.

Around 10,000 hectares of open and abandoned land have been afforested with various plant species under the Rastrapati Chure Tarai-Madhes Conservation Development Committee, he added.

PM Dahal on the occasion applauded the Committee's role in promoting greenery and maintaining ecosystem balance.

He urged all stakeholders, including local governments, to prioritize the conservation of newly planted trees, wishing that the Green Campaign would contribute to enhancing people's livelihood in the Chure Tarai-Madhes region.

Prime Minister Dahal further shared that the Chure hill range that spreads over 37 districts from Ilam in the east to Kanchanpur district in the west of the country is very sensitive from a geo-biological and geological point of view. It is rich in biological diversity and is the habitat of and biological route for rare wild animals.

'The Chure hills system is the water source for the Tarai-Madhesh, the natural resources in the Chure area are the lifeline for the people living in the lowland region, i.e. Madhesh,' said the Prime Minister.

'Today, the natural resources in the Chure conservation area knowingly and unknowingly are under the vicious cycle of human encroachment. Physical infrastructure development without preparing the detailed project report, engineering design and environmental impact study has weakened the Chure mountain range,' he said.

Stating that the exploitation of Chure area has increased due to the collection and excavation of stones, gravel, and sand, Prime Minister Dahal mentioned that it has created a serious crisis in the environmental integrity of the river system.

He said that the protection of the Chure region is becoming a challenge day by day due to increasing population in Chure area, unorganized settlement, human encroachment upon forests, forest fires, uncontrolled cattle grazing and exploitation of river materials, unorganized physical infrastructure construction, soil erosion.

'Only if the nature is clean, our lives will be safe and only if we protect the nature, the nature will protect us,' the PM reiterated.

He called for saving the people of Tarai-Madhesh from disasters and protecting and preserving the forests, flora, fauna and ecological system in the Chure area.

The Prime Minister urged the three levels of government and all the state agencies to collect and excavate stones, gravel and sand only by conducting environmental studies in accordance with the concept of systematic physical development, taking care of the right of the future generations to live in harmony with nature there.