Dhimals oppose Kanepokhari beautification drive

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, May 3: Locals from the Dhimal community have buried bases prepared for the construction of a ticket booth and guard house in Kanepokhari, claiming that both federal and local governments have initiated development activities around the sacred Dhimal Gramthan and Kanepokhari areas under the pretext of beautification without consulting the community.

On Thursday, before the construction company could proceed further, community members buried pits dug to build a ticket booth and a security guard house.

The federal government has allocated Rs. 9 million in the current fiscal year for the beautification of the pond areas at Kanepokhari-7, Morang. 

The Kanepokhari Rural Municipality added Rs. 2,688,915, bringing the total estimated cost to Rs. 11.68 million. However, the final contract was awarded at a reduced amount of Rs. 8,260,491.30, a 29.33% decrease from the estimated cost. 

The electronic bid was awarded to Biratnagar-based Bhumiradha Builders on March 20, 2025. Vice-chairperson of the Rural Municipality, Bhola Prasad Adhikari, laid the foundation stone on April 28, just four months before the end of the current fiscal year.

The construction company began work on Tuesday, with plans to build two forest banquet huts, lay tiles around the pond and construct a ticket house and a security guard post. However, the locals from Dhimal community immediately opposed the construction in the Gramthan area, where the Dhamkuwa Dhimal Committee regularly performs religious rituals. 

Committee Chairperson Jantalal Dhimal said, “Bricks that we brought to build Gramthan were removed by the forest officials, and our sacred bell was lost. The government has interfered with a protected cultural site.”

Kanepokhari is located within a community-protected forest area managed by the Rural Improvement Community Forest Users Group. Its chairperson, Devendra Thapa, stated, “Despite being custodians of a protected forest, we were not informed about this project. I was mot even aware that the foundation were buried.”

In response, Vice-chairperson Bhola Prasad Adhikari said the work would be carried out with care to ensure that Maharajthan, the Dhimal community’s religious site, is not damaged. 

He added that the construction is being conducted in coordination with the Division Forest Office, the Sub-Division Forest Office in Kanepokhari, and the Rural Improvement Community Forest.

With less than three months left in the fiscal year, locals expressed concern that it would be imp ossible to complete Rs. 8.3 million project work in the remaining time.