Bajura, September 21

Illegal herb collection is rampant in national and community forests in Bajura.

Contractors are collecting herbs from national and community forests of Budhinanda and Badimalika municipalities without taking licence from District Forest Division Office, Bajura.

Division forest office Chief Dan Bahadur Shrestha admitted that herbs were being collected illegally in the district.

“The forest office has not granted permission for herb collection,” Shrestha said, adding, “A complaint has been registered with the office stating that many people were involved in collecting herbs unlawfully.”

Locals say that herb named setak chini is being collected illegally. Setak chini is available in nine districts in Nepal. Budhinanda Municiplaity-4 ward chair Rajan Rokaya said contractors were collecting the herb secretly due to negligence of District Forest Division Office.

Contractors are collecting herbs like setak chini, katuki, panchaaunle and bhulte and exporting them to adjoining districts like Humla, Jumla and Kalikot  without taking permission from the authorities concerned.

It is reported that these herbs are being smuggled to bordering cities of India and China via Karnali road. Mountain herbs Entrepreneurs Association, Bajura, chairman Bal Bahadur Thapa said the forest office had taken no initiation to stop the smuggling of these herbs worth millions.

Forest office chief Shrestha said that his office was having a hard time controlling illegal collection of herbs due to staff crunch at the office and geographical difficulty. He, however, said that his office was doing everything possible to control the illegal collection of herbs in the district.

According to forest office chief Shrestha, a joint team of police personnel and some staffers from District Forest Division Office had seized some 1,012 kilograms of setak chini from Budhinanda municipality.