GORKHA: Four community forest user groups in Gorkha have begun producing organic fertiliser from leaf litter and other forest biomass that would otherwise go to waste.
The initiative has been launched by the Ram Laxman Community Forest User Group and the Bagpani Community Forest User Group in Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality-1, the Ludi Damgade Community Forest User Group in Gorkha Municipality-8, and the Kaluwagaira Aapgaira Kutmire Community Forest User Group in Bhimsen Thapa Rural Municipality-5.
The programme is being implemented with technical and financial support from the Division Forest Office, Gorkha.
Shishir Lamsal, Forest Officer at the Division Forest Office, said the office has provided the community forest groups with the necessary machinery, along with training and orientation on organic fertiliser production.
According to Lamsal, the initiative has been introduced under the office’s biomass-based organic fertiliser production programme. He said it would help ensure the proper utilisation and management of invasive plant species, which have become a growing challenge in the forestry sector.
“The programme will support the management of invasive species and help conserve native plant species,” he said.
Lamsal added that increased production of organic fertiliser could help ease the shortage of chemical fertilisers, strengthen the link between forestry and agriculture, and promote organic farming.
Under the programme, community forest user groups collect leaf litter, shrubs, invasive plants, leaves and wood chips from the forest. The materials are then piled in long windrows measuring about five to eight feet wide and three to five feet high in open areas for composting.
Madan Mohan Shandilya, Chief of the Division Forest Office, Gorkha, said high-quality organic fertiliser can be produced within eight to 12 weeks using proper composting methods.
He said the programme is expected to contribute significantly to invasive species management, forest fire prevention, and income generation for community forest user groups.
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