Kathmandu, March 8:

The government is set to come up with a national-level policy on the use of forest land with a view to maintaining the forest cover by at least 40 percent of the country’s total area.

The draft policy, prepared by the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and sent to the council of ministries for approval, aims at providing forest land only to the “nationally prioritised projects” to be carried out by the government or private sectors.

“The nationally prioritised projects, defined by the National Planning Commission and approved by the council of ministers, will be given permission for the use of forest land if such projects do not have other alternative than to use the forest land,” said the draft policy, which would be approved by the council of ministers “soon”.

A highly-placed official of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation told this daily that the policy was being prepared to maintain the required 40 percent jungle of the country’s total areas.

Currently, about 39 percent of the country’s total area is covered with forest land, including shrubs and forest. The trend of deforestation has decreased after the government handed management of forests to communities.

This is the first time that the government is set to introduce the policy on the use of forest land. Even the nationally prioritised projects would also be allowed to use the forest land only after conducting environment impact assessment (EIA) from the stage of pre-feasibility study period.

The draft policy blames the previous commissions such as Landless Problem Resolution Commission, Forest Land Strengthening Commission, Rehabilitation Company for the resettlement of the people displaced by natural calamities, flood and landslide, major constructions of the government, security wings and regional settlement offices for the massive use of jungle area without following a proper policy and making environmental impact study.

The official said previous governments had been allocating forest-land to the government agencies and private sector haphazardly.

Such projects are required to preserve the planted areas for five years and hand them over to the district forest office after they are fully grown up. It also equally applies to the privately-run projects using the forest-land for making profits.