Gauriganga Partnership Forest in Kailali Creates Jobs, Boosts Daily Incomes

Dhangadhi: Aite Bhul of Gauriganga Municipality-9 in Kailali now heads out early each morning for steady work. Once reliant on occasional wage labor, Bhul now earns a consistent Rs 1,000 daily working as a firewood cutter in the Gauriganga Partnership Forest. "I have been working here for more than a week and am earning Rs 1,000 every day," he said.

Rajul Chaudhary of Ghodaghodi-8 shares a similar experience, saying, "I was sitting idle before, but now I am working as a firewood cutter." Like Aite and Rajul, more than 80 people have found employment through the Gauriganga Partnership Forest, earning Rs 1,000 daily.

Sagar Dhami of Gauriganga-10, who draws a monthly salary, reports that he is earning an additional Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per day since the forest operations began.

The partnership forest’s action plan was approved in 2078 BS with the goal of supporting both the national and local economy through sustainable forest management and providing forest products. Although a stakeholder group was formed in 2079 BS, internal disputes delayed implementation.

Now that operations have resumed, forest rangers who went without salaries for two years are also seeing improvements. Forest ranger Karan Singh Saud shared, "I had many problems due to the lack of salary. Now, I am able to send my two children to a good school."

Another ranger, Sanam Chaudhary, expressed similar relief. "We initially received salaries when the partnership forest was formed, but went two years without any. I even considered going abroad for work. Now, I am happy to continue working close to home," Chaudhary said.

Currently, the partnership forest employs nine forest rangers, an office secretary, and an office assistant. Despite prior efforts, previous plans to collect wood and firewood in fiscal years 2079/80 and 2080/81 were stalled due to internal disputes, according to Office Secretary Dil Bahadur Bohara.

Bohara stated that this year, under a collection agreement, 54,000 cubic feet of wood and 45 square meters of firewood are being harvested, which has helped manage administrative expenses.

The forest user group is structured to include 50 members, selected from ward-level meetings and representatives from Gauriganga and Mohanyal Rural Municipalities. However, its formation faced disputes, leading to the dissolution and reformation of the committee. Hikmat Mahata, Chairperson of the Gauriganga Shared Forest User Committee, said the disputes were resolved through discussions with political parties and stakeholders.

Member Mohan BK added that the wood collected, which would otherwise rot or burn in the forest, will now meet local consumer needs.

The Gauriganga Shared Forest includes wards 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 of Gauriganga Municipality and ward 5 of Mohanyal Rural Municipality. It spans 3,20.46 hectares and benefits 6,326 household users.