Chitwan, September 10

It has been reported that in Chitwan, only a negligible number of trees have been planted to compensate for the trees felled down while executing development activities like road construction.

As per the existing law, as many as 25 times the number of trees felled must be planted in replacement. However, the stakeholders have planted only a negligible number of plants, citing space crunch in the district.

Till date, Nepal Electricity Authority felled down 30,442 trees while installing 220 KV transmission line from Hetauda to Bardaghat, but has planted only 51,200 trees against 7,61,050 plants.

Shyam Bahadur Rimal, Assistant Forest Officer at District Forest Office Chitwan, said as many as 24,791 have been felled in Gadyauli, Amilepani, Jutpani and Haripur area community forests.  Similarly, a total of 5,085 trees were chopped down in the conserved forest at Jutpani and Haripur forest areas. “We were supposed to plant trees in around 454 hectares, but due to a lack of space, trees will be planted only in 200 hectares,” he said. They have planted only 51,200 trees in 32 hectares of community forests.