KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation is set to declare four new conservation areas across the country.

"We will declare four conservation areas soon. The ministry will submit a proposal in the cabinet to declare Chandragiri-Phulchowki conservation area within next week," Deepak Bohara, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation said today. Madane of Gulmi, Jaljale of Rolpa and Panchase of Kaski will also be declared protected areas. The government has so far declared five conservation areas -- Annapurna Conservation Area in west, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in east, Manaslu Conservation Area in Gorkha District, Gaurishanker in mid-east and Api Nampa Conservation Area in far-west. Clarifying that the ministry's intention to declare conservation areas was not to block developmental works, Bohara said, "We want to maintain 40 per cent of total land area as the forest, assuring that developmental works will not be checked.