Madhesh: The Forest Directorate of Madhesh Province has successfully recovered 442 hectares of forest land that had been encroached upon for an extended period. The Directorate revealed that the reclaimed land has been restored to government ownership across several districts during the fiscal year 2081/82.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the breakdown of the recovered forest lands includes 30 hectares in Dhanusha, 174 hectares in Sarlahi, 111 hectares in Saptari, 54 hectares in Bara, 45 hectares in Parsa, 12 hectares in Rautahat, 10 hectares in Siraha, and three hectares in Mahottari districts. Despite this recovery, Director at the Forest Directorate, Jagannath Prasad Jaiswal, highlighted that approximately 16,599 hectares of forest land remain under encroachment by various entities.
Minister for Forest and Environment in the province, Sanjay Kumar Yadav, emphasized the necessity of collaboration between administrative, political, and local mechanisms to effectively address forest-related challenges. He underscored that administrative efforts alone are insufficient for resolving these issues.
Secretary at the Ministry, Uddhav Bahadur Ghimire, stated that subordinate offices have been directed to adopt stringent measures to reclaim forest land. He promised rigorous monitoring and effective coordination with multiple sectors to ensure the protection and recovery of forest areas.
Despite the country having a forest cover of 45 percent, Madhesh Province accounts for only 3.72 percent of this, highlighting the importance of ongoing efforts to safeguard and expand forest territories.