MAHENDRANAGAR: Encroachment of forest in Kanchanpur is increasing at an alarming rate. Destruction of forests is rampant and huts are being built illegally in the forest area.

Till date, 65 forests have been handed over to communities in Kanchanpur. "Of all community forests, 20 have been encroached upon by land mafias in the name of victims of flood and forest reserves", said Arjun Karki president Forest Cosumers' Association, Kanchanpur. According to him people have been constructing huts after destroying the forests. Encroachment has affected nearly one third of the community forests, he added. Besides the community forests, nearly half a dozen forests in the buffer zone of Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve have been encroached.

Laba Bista, president of buffer zone management committee, said that the forests like Ajayapal, Baijanath, Kisan, Laxmi and Janaki were encroached upon. He also claimed that the land mafias were involved in the encroachment of forests.

The consumers had clashed with the encroachers three days ago in Pipaladi-4. The consumers were assaulted when they tried to prevent the encroachers from felling down trees in Laxmi community forest. The consumers have demanded legal action against the assailants. Tek Bahadur Hamal of Pipaladi range post said, "Though we demanded to take action, nothing is done," adding that, "We will sit-in in front of the District Forest Office and District Administration Office, if they do not take any action."

Meanwhile, Surya Kanta Sigdel, District Forest Officer, said that he would try to negotiate, or else they would evict the encroachers forcefully. He also added that encroachment in the forest could be prevented if the political parties cooperated. Though 14,000 out of 88,000 hectares of forest in the district has been encroached the authorities remained reticent onlookers, blamed the consumers.