Encroachment and Expansion in Pathlaiya Community Forest

Bara. The expansion of settlements by killing Sal trees in Pathlaiya Community Forest, connected to the East-West Highway, has increased alarmingly. It has been revealed that Sal and other species of trees in the Pathlaiya Community Forest, which was a dense forest area a few years ago, are being killed using strong chemicals and houses are being built. The forest office said that as human settlements increased, trees were killed to obtain land ownership certificates from the Safe Housing and Landless Problem Resolution Commission. Even now, dozens of dead Sal trees stand within the settlement in the community forest. Neither the Community Forest group nor the Forest Office has shown concern about the illegal killing of Sal trees. Pathlaiya Community Forest Group Vice-Chairman Bhim Bahadur Magar claimed that when the forest was handed over in 2066 BS, there were about 700 households, but the number has now reached 1,700. 'The Community Forest Committee alone cannot do anything to prevent encroachment, the Forest Office must be involved,' said Vice-Chairman Magar, 'Encroachment has occurred by moving forest pillars overnight. We have given up as we could not do anything.' Human structures have been built in most parts of the 232-hectare forest area. A local woman said that while there are a few landless people in the community forest, most of them are people who own houses and land in other places in Pathlaiya, Simra, Hetauda, Kathmandu, and other parts of the country. This is an area connected to the East-West Highway and the Pathlaiya-Birgunj Industrial Corridor. Large truck operators have been operating garages in the western/southern part of the community forest, while some areas are used for scrap and hotel businesses. Businessmen in the area say that landowners are renting out community forest land for Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per katthha per month. Inside the forest, there are private schools, monasteries, incomplete buildings constructed by the provincial government, and structures built by individuals. Former Chairman of Pathlaiya Community Forest, Chudaprasad Bhatta, said that as human settlements increased within the forest area, locals killed Sal trees by peeling off the bark and applying hing. 'After the bark is removed, the tree dies in 3 years because water cannot reach the roots,' said former Chairman Bhatta, 'The community forest has been encroached upon much more than shown on the map; the current chairman must take action according to the law.' Land in the forest area connected to the highway is being bought and sold for Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh per dhur. Local resident Buddhimaya Rai has requested the government to manage the settlement of landless people when removing encroachment in the forest area. 'Land is being transacted at Rs 2 lakh per dhur here. We also bought land from Babu Magar and settled here,' said local resident Rai, 'Some have even obtained land ownership certificates for this forest land; we only have proof of purchase.' Settlements began with laborers and their families who came during the construction of the East-West Highway in this area. With the rapid increase in settlements within the community forest in the last 5 to 8 years, the Division Forest Office Bara has taken notice this time. Two weeks ago, the Forest Office sent a letter to the community forests requesting details of encroached land. Virendra Yadav, Assistant Division Forest Officer of the Division Forest Office Bara, said that information about the encroachment of community forests is being sent to the Home Ministry through the local administration and the process of vacating the land will be initiated. Sujit Kumar Jha, Chief of the Division Forest Office Bara, said that the encroachment of Pathlaiya Community Forest will be cleared as soon as possible. 'We will clear the encroachment of Pathlaiya Community Forest by presenting it in the encroachment control facilitation committee meeting,' said Division Forest Officer Jha, 'New houses are being built in Pathlaiya Community Forest every 2-3 years; we will clear those first.' Bara has 41 community forests, 4 collaborative forest user groups, and national forest areas. According to the data of the Division Forest Office, there are 17,000 households living as landless, homeless, and in unorganized settlements within the forest areas of Bara.