All sources of water inside the forest had dried up and the forest was of no use for the locals who needed green leaves as fodder for their cattle.

But the same forest is now totally green and full of water springs after it was handed over to the people and converted into a community forest. Earlier, it was under the authority of the government and looked after by the District Forest Office.

The forest, which had just one or two kind of trees, is now full of different species of trees and plants, thanks to the hard work of the locals. They have grown up many useful trees, which provide green leaves as fodder for their cattle and wood as fuel in their homes.

The locals have also requested the District Forest Office to provide them saplings of Sandalwood and Rudraksha.

“The entire jungle used to be naked and one had to set out early in the morning in search of fire-wood. But nowadays, I can get fire-wood, green leaves and wood for other purpose right here”, says Jeev Raj Neupane, a member of the Tekanthumki community forest users’ group.

The community forest has not only provided fire-wood and fodder for the villagers, but fire-wood and furniture-wood produced in excess by the forest is sold and the money received in return is utilised in development works of the village like construction of road-side shelters, roads, school buildings and running skill-oriented training for the villagers, said Bal Bahadur Daire, President of the group.

Green leaves, fuel-wood and other wood received while cleaning out the forest, which includes cutting down out-growing branches and leaves of trees, chopping down ageing trees, are distributed equally among the users of the group.

The community forest founded four years ago is located at Byas municipality-8 of Tanahu district. It spreads over an area of 83 hectare. Some 255 families are beneficiaries of the forest. The group has also recruited a forest-guard to look after the forest.

It has been fulfilling the necessities of the local people and is being managed under the Community forest regulations, said Ranger Surya Poudel of Byas Range post.

In order to make forest management more effective the Tekanthumki community forest users’ group should be trained on field-based forest management and fund raising program, adds Poudel.

Poudel also said learning from the good experiences of this community forest, the forest in ward no-6 of the same municipality is also going to be handed over to the local community.

Love and affection towards the forest increased, and it became clean and green after it was owned by the local community, says the users of the forest.