Forest Encroachment in Chure Rural Municipality-5: Notice Issued to Vacate Settlement Within 7 Days

Dhangadhi: Instances of forest encroachment and settlement have been observed in various locations within Chure Rural Municipality Ward No. 5, Kailali. In response, the local forest office has served a 7-day notice, urging occupants to vacate the encroached forest area. The Sahajpur sub-division forest office has issued the notice, emphasizing the need to clear encroached habitations.

The notice encompasses the entire forest area stretching from the Nigladi River to Bhasu, along the Bhimdatta highway, and surrounding Jamunigada and Khanidanda to Mal within Chure Rural Municipality-5. The sub-division forest office has also cautioned that if the encroached forest area is not vacated within the stipulated timeframe, necessary action will be taken forcefully.

The 7-day notice was issued after the encroachment persisted despite repeated written and verbal appeals from the forest office to the concerned community forest user group, highlighting the illegal encroachment upon national forest land. The notice explicitly states that if houses constructed within the forest area are not vacated and personal belongings are not removed within 7 days of the notification, the forest area will be forcefully cleared, and stringent action will be taken as per the provisions of the Forest Act of 2076 BS.

The sub-division forest office issued the notice on May 26th to address the encroachment of forest land. Similarly, on June 6th, the Tahra Division Forest Office in Dhangadhi, with the assistance of the Nepal Police and Armed Police, successfully evicted encroachers who had constructed settlements within the forests of Chure Rural Municipality-4 in Tankagada and Panerugada.

Around 250 families were displaced when the forest office removed them from their encroached lands in Tanggada and Panerugada of the rural municipality. Under the pretext of being landslide victims, local residents had encroached upon forest areas, constructing 135 structures on 58 hectares of land in Tankagada and 350 structures on 47 hectares of land in Panerugada. Over a period of nearly three years, approximately 57 hectares of land were illegally occupied, and houses were built in Tankagada.