0917-B3
Bhakti Prasad Timilsena 1
My attempt here is to present one of the several works that have been involved in forest and environment conservation as a local people's representative. Programme focused in mobilizing landless squatters for developing a wasteland in a village in a municipality in Nepal.
Nepal's forest, once renowned as green gold, has disappeared mainly after the settlement programmes were implemented in Tarai. Dense forests of Tarai were cleared, and the land was distributed to people from the neighboring hills. Remaining forests were degraded in meeting demands of migrated people. Increased livestock of increased population affected the forest regeneration. Frequent forest fire from local people damaged the forest further.
On the other hand people, who were migrated from the hills, had culture of tree farming in their land, and slowly started planting trees in their farm. Mostly fruit and fodder trees were planted. Also farm planting created the green belt in all roads, as the land in both side of the road belonged to individual.
Only the public land remained without tree. Public land included school compound, office compound and canal side. School or office compound were planted with involvement of respective authority, but protection was still a problem. I am presenting here the case of planting trees in canal side.
Chitawan irrigation project made networks of canal in western Chitawan. Most part of the canal was dug in land acquired from local people. The compensation was paid to the landowner, and land thus belonged to district irrigation office. In absence of protection measures, these lands were used for grazing. This practice increased the risk of damaging canal bund and also was danger for livestock and children being drowned into canal flow. Nothing has been done in the land on canal side. Slowly people encroached in the outer side of the canal side. For last few years the landless squatters occupy this land for making shelter, and the remaining land was left as it is, as wasteland. So it became necessary to use this land while involving the local landless people.
My ward initiated tree plantation works in wasteland in the ward area. As individuals own most of the roadsides, the canal sides were the only available land for communal plantation. Here too squatters have occupied since last few years. It was not possible to initiate development of these lands without these people's cooperation. Accordingly, squatters (landless people) residing at Sitarm-chok were consulted for initiating tree planting. After several consultations and meetings, they agreed to cooperate and support.
Pits of size 1'X1'X1' in spacing of 2 feet were dug involving all squatter families. As per the decision of these people, bakaino (Melazarik indica) was planted. Wages for pitting was paid Rs 0.50 for each pit, but planting was done by volunteer labour. Bakaino is fast growing in this climate and used for fodder and timber. Even the crooked boles fetch good income from selling to brick kilns. Moreover, bakano has been very popular recently for furniture.
Plantation was completed in July 2002, during rainy season, and survival is very high. Some trees are six feet tall, indicating good site for bakaino. Very little mortality was observed though, and people are aware of replanting in the coming planting season. Some trees are top-broken but are sprouting and re-growing. Thus, a plantation forest is established, adding tree cover in the region.
Although squatters are not getting direct benefits at the moment, they are looking for fodder supply in the near future so that they will be able to have more livestock for their livelihoods. Furthermore, people, who have not land of their own, are hoping to produce timber, which can be used and sold in few years time.
Canal sides could be potential area for forestry development outside forest; these forests could be used for producing fodder, fuelwood and small wood. This is probably the first attempt of any municipality being involved in developing a wasteland while involving squatters. Two lessons, at least, can be drawn from this project:
i) It shows the squatters can be mobilized as resources against the practice of seeing them as mere problem.
ii) Because of my involvement in greening my environment, mainly by planting trees in public land, I am comfortable during my election campaign. I feel trees are my ballot papers. I have never been unsuccessful in my election since my first attempt. So I see that politics can be successful while developing forests, which is against the charges that politician abuses forestry resources.
1 Former Ward Chair
Bharatpur Municipality, Chitawan Nepal
Telephone: 977 56 22590, Fax: 977 56 24275
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