Firewood, timber smuggling on rise in Shivapuri national park

– Purna Prasad Mishra

Firewood and timber smuggling has been reportedly on the rise from Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park during the lockdown period. According to the Park’s chief conservation officer Dil Bahadur Purja, around 100 persons have already been arrested on the charge of timber smuggling in the past week.

He added that the peoples were found collecting timber and firewood via different entry points to the national park. Some of them were reported as saying that they were compelled to collect firewood for the shortage of cooking gas in the market.

However, may were found to be stealing the fire wood and timber in an organized manner, by taking the advantage of the lockdown period.

A local of Sundarijal, Sushil Simkhada said that the growing green forest near his locality is found deforesting these days.

According to assistant preservation officer at the national park Srijana Shrestha, 40 people were arrested alone from Sundarijal and Nayapati recently.

The national park that spreads over Kathmandu, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot and Dhading districts shares its borders with 10 local levels in these districts.