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Kathmandu Tuesday March 20, 2001 Chaitra 07, 2057.
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Kanchenjunga
area being expanded
Post Report
KATHMANDU, March 19 - The boundary of
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), named as the Gift of Nature by the Government in
April 1997, is being expanded, which will make the whole belt of the North Eastern Nepal a
protected area for high altitude flora and fauna.
The 1650-square-kilometre conservation area
which is named after Mt Kanchenjunga (8586 mt) metre lies in the eastern boundary of
Nepal.
Afte inclusion of small boundary Milke Hill
between Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and Sagarmatha National Park, three areas of
wildlife conservation, including that of Makalu Barun Conservation Area will be developed
as one big protected land of rich natural bio-diversity.
Addressing an interaction programme, Dr Tirth
Man Maskey, the director-general of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
(DNPWC) said, "We are chaning the whole North-West mountains into a belt of
conservation areas."
Conservation area has become relatively easy
in these days. But conservation work is possible only if the locals are aware and
cooperative, he said.
Besides, steps are being taken to develop the
alpine area of Nepal, India and China into a three-country peace park.
Chandra P Gurung of World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Nepal Programme said that WWF has had meetings with Indian counterparts on this issue.
In the past thirty years, local people’s
attitude toward wildlife conservation and community forest management has completely
changed. "After thirty years, the local people of Kanchenjunga area want to expand
the conservation area. It is a good sign of people’s awareness toward
conservation."
WWF is providing technical and financial
assistance to develop Kanchenjunga mountain complex. With KCA, WWF has been conducting
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP) since 1998 March to mobilise the locals of
the conservation and uplift their living standard for conservation of the local
biodiversity.
Tourism and conservation expert Karna Shakya
said instead of attracting tourists in the area, named Gift to the Earth by the
Government, attention should be payed to make policy of allowing only a few number of
foreign tourists in the virgin land.
"It is not difficult to develop a
tourist destination but the real difficulty lies in protecting the area from contamination
followed by development," he said.
He urged the locals of Taplejung to attract
domestic tourists with some tokens of originality.
District Development Committee Chairman Vijaya
Raj Thewe urged the government to expand the territory of Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
including six more Village Development Committees of Kalikhola, Surimkhim, Khewang,
Mankhe, Sawa and Papung.
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