Smuggling of medicinal herbs from the northern region of Jajarkot district is on the rise.

Villagers from the region claim that herbs like Panchaaule, Katuko, Samayo, Gucchichayu, Padamchal, Latchuk, Satuwa, Atis and Sunjari are being smuggled in the absence of monitoring at the district borders.

These herbs are found in Chakhure, Deurali, Saikuwari, Sagbari, Burause, Thakurji, Rolpapatan of Nayakbada VDC and Kushe, Akedor, Chalnedab, Kushumchauri and Khara of Paink VDC.

Villager Bhim Bahadur Singh said smugglers have been smuggling medicinal herbs due to lax security at the borders. “They are openly transporting herbs to the districts like Dolpa, Jumla, Mugu, Humla evading taxes,” said Singh.

Some locals, meanwhile, accuse the office bearers of local community forest users’ groups and forest officials of failing to conserve the medicinal herbs.

District Forest Officer Upendra Prasad Patel said that the failure to protect the forests is mainly due to the lack of human resource.

The herbs collected from Jajarkot are smuggled to various parts of Nepal as well as India and China where they are sold at high prices.

Patel has vowed to take strong action against herbs smugglers.

 “We have been planning to control smuggling of herbs with the help of police and representatives of the community forest consumers’ committee,” said Patel.

Smugglers have been known to use the border areas like Limsa as their route because there is no presence of police there.

“The Area Police Office in Limsa was displaced during the Maoist insurgency. The authorities have not thought about reinstating it so far,” Patel said.