BIRGUNJ: Locals of Parsa have been encroaching upon the national forest area of Parsa district. About 1500 trees have been felled from Sonbarsa and Manawa areas within a week. Locals and smugglers have cut down around 1000 sal trees in Sonbarsa VDC-7 near Parsa Wildlife Conservation Area.

However, Kapildev Patel, an officer at the Area Forest Office Basantapur, claimed that the villagers, wielding home-made weapons, cleared the forest after taking the forest staffers under their control. Forest staffers also detained four persons of Sonbarsa-6 in connection with the smuggling. The authorities met today to discuss and stop the encroachment.