Ramechhap benefits from forest, agriculture projects

Ramechhap, Apr. 8 (RSS): Mountainous Lease Forest and Pasture Development Project (MLFPDP) run by HMG with the cooperation of the Netherlands Government, Food and Agriculture Ogranisation and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has been found highly instrumental in eradicating poverty in Ramechhap district.

MLFPDP has been under implementation in 10 districts of Nepal since the fiscal year 2049/50.

MLFPDP is being implemented in a number of VDCs of Ramechhap district like Salupati, Rampur, Deurali, Ramechhap, Sukajor, Okhreni, Doramba, Uduwa, Tokarpur, Hiledevi, Khaniyapani, Rakathum, Bhirpani, Khanda Devi, Makadum, Bhaluwajor, Bhatauli, Chisapani, Pakarbash, Gupteshwar, Priti, Kuwukasthali, Bijulakot, Nagdah and Purana in coordination with district forest office, District Agricultural Development Bank and district livestock service centre.

MLFPDP was first introduced in Ramechhap district in the fiscal year 2051/52.

So far, 193 forest users' groups that consist of both male and female have been formed as of fiscal year 2057/58. All these groups are actively involved in some income generating schemes.

The project aims at making the people living below poverty line self-reliant by providing them a piece of barren slope for the next 40 years in a bid to arrest encroachment of forests and raise the living standard of such people one way or the other.

Out of various programmes run within forest cover with a view to backing up the people living below poverty line, MLFPDP is the only programme in the country that has solely focused on poverty alleviation.

MLFPDP was introduced first of all in Gupteshwar VDC in FY 2051/52 by handing over Dandakharka lease forest so as to enable the people living in the peripheral forest areas in deriving a stream of benefits particularly from the forest area.

Lease forests have been transferred to 193 forest users' groups of 25 VDCs in Ramechhap district by the end of Poush, 2058/59.

With the implementation of MLFPDP, some 1,528 households are able to enjoy direct benefits whereas a total of 1083.77 hectares of lease forest have been recognised as national forest.

Since the project needs to be run with the active involvement of the backward and marginalised communities of the society, it has faced an array of problems in the initial phase, Ramechhap district forest officer Yadav Silwal says, adding that the project has been under implementation satisfactorily and smoothly at present.

It is a matter of satisfaction that local people have become capable of deriving benefits by embarking on livestock, and other businesses based on forest products, head of Ramechhap district livestock service office Yadunath Sharma says.

The lease forest is also immensely helping in mitigating soil-erosion and landslides, on the one hand, and producing staple pasture for domestic animals, on the other.

Members of the Forest Users' Groups have been imparted training on production of fodder and its seedlings, its conservation, livestock and veterinary services through service centres under the district livestock service office.

The local people are now able to generate a good income after they have started planting mango, pineapple, plum, lichchi, mandarin, lemon as well as a variety of seasonal and non-seasonal vegetables.

Although there is a clear provision regarding handing over of lease forest to any organised body or industry or community under the Forest Act-2049, such forests have not been handed over to such entities.

The Forest Users' Groups are entitled to collect forest products, sell such products to others or consume it themselves in keeping with the plan of action formulated by themselves, but the ownership of trees lying within the lease forests fall under HMG.

What local people pinpoint right now is that since lease forest is handed over to a person for the next 40 years, the existing forest act is silent on whether or not his or her heir can use such a forest in case of the person's death.

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