Kathmandu, December 17:

Participants at an interaction programme today warned that Nepal could see the state of affairs 34 years ago repeated if the government fails to come up with solid steps for the conservation of the one-horned rhino.

“The state of Nepal would be like that of 2029 BS if the government fails to take bold steps very soon,” said senior journalist Bhairav Risal while reciting the report of a journalist Shree Lal Shah at a function here today.

President of the Chitwan-based Community Development Organisation Somat Ghimire said local indigenous people should be given ownership for the conservation of the wild animals of their areas and they should be consulted while making policies.

“New plans and policies should be adopted for the conservation of rhinos and it should be discussed with locals,” he said.

Representing the indigenous communities, Hom Bahadur Majhi of Pithouli VDC-6 Nawalparasi, said the indigenous people are ready to take the responsibility to conserve the endangered animals including the one-horned rhino if “we are given responsibility and paid for it.” He expressed the woes of the indigenous people of the area who have been affected by the National Park through speech and folk songs. He said they have been suffering a lot at the hands of the armies as they have put restriction on their traditional occupation.

The interaction was organised by the Community Development Organisation in coordination with a number of organisations including Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal, Community Forest Support Network, Nepal Federation of Environment Journalists (NEFEJ) and Forest Technicians Association. General secretary of the Janamorcha Nepal Ghanashyam Sharma Poudel said conservation is impossible if locals are kept away and they should be involved in all the conservation efforts to bring about positive results.

Bishnu Adhikary, president of Anti-poaching Youth Awareness Programme, Nawalparasi said that the people in his district are committed and are working to declare Nawalparasi a poaching-free district. “The indigenous people of the district Bote, Musahar and Majhi are the target groups of our programme,” he said.