Himalayan News Service

Gorkha (Sirdibas), May 13:

Rare precious herbs and wildlife are becoming smuggled out daily from Syarbhot and Kutangbhot, far northern VDCs of Gorkha district, in the absence of security and conservation efforts. Both the districts are contiguous to Tibet.

Loads of herbs like Yarsagumba, Panchaunle, Wonalsun, Pakhanbhed, Chiraito (Swertia Purpurascens) are found in abundance in Chumchet and Chhekampar VDCs of Syarbhot and Bihi, Prok, Lho and Samagaun VDCs of Kutangbhot.

Come mid-May, locals there fan out since early morning in search of these herbs. Each family manages to scoop up between Rs 60,000 and Rs 1,00,000 from herb-collection and sales. Tibetans on a buying spree visit their households, a resident of Chhekampar, Pema Chhiring Lama, said. Locals admitted that they were taking advantage of the inadequate security arrangements and merrily doing illegal trade. Karma Lama of Samagaun said, “Tibetans gladly pay Rs 1,00,000 for one kilogramme of Yarsagumba.”

No government check post and security personnel exists beyond Arughat, the main market in the northern region of Gorkha district. Besides, skins of wild animals, coral stones, antique idols of deities and items of archaeological value are sold under the counter, a resident of Sirdibas said.

Amar Adhikari, a social worker said in the process natural resources of the country were getting extinct and ending up as contraband.