Chitwan, July 28

Nepal Communist Party Cochair Pushpa Kamal Dahal instructed Madi Municipality mayor to manage shelters for Chepang people displaced from Kusumkhola of Madi in Chitwan. The former prime minister telephoned Mayor Thakur Dhakal today.

People of the indigenous community have become homeless after Chitwan National Park administration, a few days ago, dismantled their homes and sheds. The area lies along the CNP buffer zone.

The CNP administration claimed that only machans and temporary huts meant for taking shelter during crop cultivation season were demolished and those were not their permanent shelters.

But Madi Municipality refuted this claim saying only two families had their homes in other areas and the CNP forcefully set their shelters on fire.

According to Mayor Dhakal, the leader from the constituency has asked him to immediately ensure shelter for the displaced, assuring allocation of budget towards that end. Madi is part of Chitwan constituency 3. The mayor promised to build houses for the displaced at Gaurigaun of Madi Municipality within a month.

Dahal’s daughter, Bharatpur Metropolitan City Mayor Renu Dahal reached the area after the Kusumkhola incident and took stock of the situation. She said, “The incident was very sad.”

NCP Co-chair Dahal was in Chitwan a few days ago to meet flood victims and take stock of encroachment of the Narayani River.

Madi Municipality has started an initiative to relocate settlements from the buffer zone after conflict between Chitwan National Park and people escalated.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 29, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.