BANKE: Encroachment of forest under various pretexts is increasing in Banke district in recent years.

The Division Forest Office, Banke has said that forest land is encroached upon in the name of flood displaced, landless squatters and persons displaced due to natural disasters in various places of the district.

Although it appears that the forest is being encroached upon in the name of flood-affected people and landless squatters, even those having land plots have encroached forests and cultivated the forest land.

According to the District Forest Office, 1,968 hectares of forest have been encroached upon in the district.

Assistant Forest Officer Ganesh Bahadur Khadka said that the largest forest encroachment has taken place in Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality. A total of 1,646.69 hectares forest has been encroached upon at this rural municipality.

Similarly, 279 hectares forest under the purview of Kohalpur Area Forest Office and 395.48 hectares forest in Baijapur area have been found encroached upon, the Division Forest Office stated.

Likewise, the community forests under Jhora Area Forest Office have also been encroached; 26.3 hectares forest has been encroached in this area. 600 hectares of forest has been found encroached upon at Tikulipur, Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality-2.

Similarly, 300 hectares of forest in Hariharpur in the same area, 100 hectares forest at Amrahawa, and 66.67 hectares of forest at Mahendrapur of Shamshergunj have been encroached upon, the Division Forest Office asserted.

It is said that 3,972 families have encroached upon forests and are using the area for constructing shelters and cultivation. An investigation conducted by the Forest Office showed that most of these families have land of their own and land-ownership papers but they are posing as landless squatters.