The human-animal conflict witnessed in different parts of Nepal is an extremely important and grossly complex eco-environmental issue plaguing the nation. In addition, conservation funding and security arrangements for protecting wildlife; another significant yet neglected eco-sociological aspect for successful conservation needs improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the people living in and around the premier of wildlife habitats of the landlocked nation. Most remote rural communities, fringe dwellers and forest residents live under abject poverty dependent on the scanty forest resources for their daily sustenance; and are vulnerable to be exploited by poaching and wildlife trafficking groups. Unless this anthropogenic issue is taken seriously no conservation efforts can be successful. To protect endangered wildlife and minimize human-animal conflicts; the eco-sociological perspective or the human factor needs to be made an important stakeholder in the process of conservation. Recently the Governments of Sri Lanka, Thailand and India have established elephant shelters for the sick and old domestic elephants from their countries; Nepal also needs to take similar measures for protecting her vanishing wildlife populations. My humble request to the Government of Nepal through your esteemed daily is to kindly take some initiative in slowly banning the buying, holding and caging of all indigenous wildlife in the country; and if necessary, take this to the parliament for in depth analysis and discussion under a special parliamentary committee dedicated towards wildlife conservation.

Saikat Kumar Basu, Canada

Revenue

This has reference to the news story “Government exploring contingency plan” (THT, Dec. 17, Page 8). The government has to look no further to realize the shortfall in revenue collection due to the border blockade, smart diplomacy and criminal mismanagement of the economy. The government has to just corner the black marketers and make up for shortfall in revenue collection. It is not a difficult task as the black marketers are still selling petrol at Rs 350 a litre as of December 16, 2015. Since Nepal is a landlocked country she will always be at the mercy of its dominant neighbor. It should work on a 500-year plan to work on opening the entire Himalayas in the north for trade and commerce. Submitting status of a vital arterial route eight months after a devastating quake speaks of the government’s apathy to the problem that has further worsened by the Indian blockade “Panel submits status of Tatopani trade route” (THT, Dec. 17, Page 8). It is not difficult to reckon that it will easily take Nepal close to half a century to repair the damaged section of the Arniko Highway from Barhabishe to Tatopani, which has crippled not only the nation’s trade but also all weather friendship between China and Nepal which has immensely benefited since this northern route was opened decades ago.

Manohar Shrestha,

Kathmandu