Jhapa Community Forest Plants Rare Medicinal Herbs and Environmental Plants

Jhapa. Chandragadhi Community Forest Consumer Group has started planting rare plants with Ayurvedic medicinal properties and plants important for environmental balance in 10 hectares of vacant land.

The forest, located in Bhadrapur Municipality-9 and 10, will have 15,000 saplings of various plants planted by the end of Asar, informed Anuj Khatiwada, chairman of the forest group. He said that the sapling plantation has started in collaboration with the Division Forest Office, Jhapa.

According to him, the planting of rare plants with Ayurvedic medicinal properties and plants important for environmental balance in 15 bighas of the vacant land has started since Sunday.

Chairman Khatiwada informed that the tree plantation will be completed with the participation of Rs 15,50,000 from the Division Forest Office, Jhapa, and Rs 2,25,000 from the forest group. He said that saplings such as Shreekhand, Agaroo, rare plants, and fruits like Badahar, Lataharr, Bayar, and plants like Shatishal, Virendra Phool have been planted.

Chief of the Division Forest Office, Nathuni Gohiyar Yadav, said that the tree plantation is being carried forward in a planned manner for the development of green tourism and environmental protection, and the program has been given on the condition that the forest will nurture 90 percent of the saplings.

In this Chandragadhi Community Forest, spread over a total of 349 hectares, native species of trees such as Sal, Karma, Jamun, and Teak have been predominant. Chairman Khatiwada expressed confidence that the new species of saplings being planted will further strengthen the biodiversity here.

Due to the natural wetlands and ponds within the forest, it is a good habitat for various native and migratory birds, attracting tourists for bird watching. The forest group has intensified eco-tourism activities by constructing a well-managed picnic spot, children's park, resting place, and an environmental trekking route within the forest to attract domestic and international tourists.