Tanahu Hydropower Project Gets Permission to Cut Trees in Chitwan National and Community Forests

Tanahu. Permission has been granted to cut trees falling within the national and community forest areas in Chitwan district for the construction of the 220 KV transmission line from Damouli to Bharatpur under the Tanahu Hydropower Project.

The Division Forest Office Chitwan has provided the project with a forest entry permit for cutting, logging, and safe stacking of trees within the transmission line construction area, effective from Friday.

A formal agreement has also been completed between the project and the Division Forest Office in this regard. According to the permission, 1,263 trees of various species located in the organized forest (Satanchuli Protected Area) and Satanchuli Community Forest in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-1, as well as Akaladevi and Siddhidevi Community Forest areas in Bharatpur Metropolitan City-29, will be cut, informed Shyamji Bhandari, Chief of the Tanahu Hydropower Project.

The cut trees must be stacked in locations designated by the concerned community forest user groups and sub-division forest office within the stipulated time.

As per the decision of the Council of Ministers of the Government of Nepal on Mangsir 20, 2079 BS, approval was granted to use a total of 92.73 hectares of forest land (25.27 hectares in Chitwan and 67.46 hectares in Tanahu) for the transmission line construction in Chitwan and Tanahu districts, and to remove 9,127 trees in the said area.

Based on the same decision, an agreement was completed between the project and the Department of Forests and Soil Conservation on Poush 30, 2082 BS. Following this agreement, the process of identifying trees within the transmission line construction area has been expedited in coordination with the Division Forest Office, the project, and the concerned community forest user groups. The process of identifying trees within Tanahu district is currently ongoing.