Kathmandu: The Chure Conservation March Group that has run a campaign for protecting Chure and forest areas has taken out a rally in the federal capital today.
The group that arrived in Kathmandu after a 25-day walk from Saptari has been demanding an immediate halt to the exploitation of peaks to save the entire country and Madhes from desertification.
A group of farmers from Chure, the main source of water in the Tarai-Madhes region, arrived in Kathmandu a few days ago to put pressure on the State. They argued that the chance of turning the Tarai into a desert has increased due to excessive exploitation of Chure in the name of extracting pebbles, stones and sands.
They had marched from Bhardaha of Saptari to Kathmandu via Patthalaiya of Bara with the aim of protecting and promoting Chure forests, demanding land rights of Dalit landless and slum dwellers and creating pressure to stop illegal mining of Chure, pollution and encroachment of rivers of Sirsialagaya.
In the last few years, the ban on the extrac
tion and export of river-based materials like stones and sands from Chure area has been lifted recently. Following the move, locals have been putting pressure on the governments and authorities concerned to bring measures to stop illegal mining.
In recent times, water level in the Tarai has decreased which has further worsened the problem of drinking water in some places.
National Coordinator of the Group Sunil Yadav complained that the government had ignored their sit-in protest at Maitighar Mandala for the past 10 days on the issue of Chure conservation.
Source: National News Agency RSS