Timber smuggling from Khotang forest confirmed

BY Rajkumar Bhattarai,Khotang Aug. 17: Evidence of unlawful smuggling of acacia catechu (khayer) timber from a community forest in Khotang has come to light. 

Around 38 acacia catechu trees have been identified as illegally smuggled from the Khokseli community forest in Ward No. 4 of Halesi Tuwachung Municipality.

After news emerged about the unauthorised felling of the trees in the community forest, the local Kunthadevi Mother's Group stopped a tractor that was transporting the smuggled logs on Wednesday.

After halting the tractor carrying smuggled acacia catechu logs covered with plastic, the mother's group seized the timber in the presence of other villagers.

Regarding whether the wood was from a community forest or not, the Halesi Division Forest Office has established an inspection committee. 

The committee, consisting of five members, including the chairperson of the community forest, Ghanshyam Dahal, and Ward Member Bhesh Bahadur Khatri, confirmed the smuggled timber came from the community forest.

The inspection committee which was formed for five days, will present its report on Thursday. 

According to the committee members and ward member Khatri of Badahare, a total of 38 trees were confirmed to have been illegally harvested from the community forest.

The mother's group had indicated that some 60 acacia catechu trees were confiscated from the two seized tractors. 

Among these, 38 trees were recognised as having been cut from the community forest, while the rest were from individual sources, Khatri said.

Ram Sagar Mandal, the Chief of Halesi Division Forest Office, said that legal actions would be taken against the wrongdoers as per the law after reviewing the report from the inspection committee on Thursday.

He also said that the committee was established and the report was prepared to initiate proper action against those involved in the smuggling of timber from the community forest.

Initially, a forest office worker tried to stop those blocking transportation of wood. But when news titled "Acacia catechu chopped in collaboration with forest employee" was published in the Gorkhapatra Daily, the forest office formed an inspection committee.

According to sources, the contractor named Anil Kumar Rai, from Jhapa, has been identified as the one responsible for cutting the timber. 

He reportedly hired locals to cut the wood by providing them with money. The inspection committee has also confirmed the involvement of five locals in tree felling.

Valuable species of plants like acacia catechu can be found in the forests of the lower areas of Khotang, particularly in Halesi Tuwachung Municipality. 

But recent reports suggest that the smugglers have almost emptied these forests. 

Devendra Rai, the Chairperson of Ward No. 2 of the municipality, also mentioned that illegal acacia catechu timber cutting has occurred in his area.

Rai claimed that the forest office became unresponsive despite repeated information about this matter. 

Residents in other municipalities also stated that excessive cutting of government forests had occurred in their areas as well.

In order to cut important plant species like acacia catechu, it is necessary follow legal procedure. This involves submitting a request for permission to the forest office. 

Once the request is approved, the office issues a cutting order. Following this, the harvested wood can be transported legally. 

However, there are reports of certain contractors illegally cutting the timber bypassing these regulations.