National
Three timber smugglers arrested, one escapes
Three timber smugglers were arrested from Siddhababa Dharmik Forest Area on Tuesday.Madhav Aryal
Three timber smugglers were arrested from Siddhababa Dharmik Forest Area on Tuesday.
A team led by Area Forest Office at Jhumsa, office bearers of Siddhababa Temple and Dovan Police Post apprehended Durga Bahadur Sunar, Kale Sunar and Sabin Sunar while the they were chopping down timbers and have been kept in the District Forest Office for further investigations, claimed District Forest Officer Prakash Lamsal.
However, another timber smuggler managed to flee the scene, secretary of Dovan Forest Coordination Committee Dal Bahadur Gurung said. According to Gurung, saws, axes and logs were confiscated from the smugglers.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the smugglers used to stay in the forest and were smuggling timbers from there. Gurung hoped that the arrest of the three smugglers may lead to main smugglers.
On the other hand, timber smuggling in Chure Area is said to be going unchecked lately with the office bearers of community forest users’ groups and staffers of the District Forest Office (DFO) being accused of involvement in the smuggling.
Local people claimed that deforestation is rampant, particularly, in VDCs such as Dovan, Kachal, Gothadi Satyawati, Baldhengadi and Jyamire. Timbers from the areas are said to be smuggled to Butwal and Bhairahawa.
The locals said their calls to the DFO, office bearers of community forest users’ groups and forest coordination committees to control deforestation have gone unheard.
Gurung said that it is sad to witness deforestation even at a time when campaigns against deforestation and smuggling have been going on.