SIRAHA: With the House of Representatives (HoR) election approaching, forest and environment advocates, along with local residents, have urged political parties and candidates to make conservation of the Chure region a central election agenda.
They warned that rapid deforestation in the Chure belt is accelerating desertification and triggering multiple environmental hazards across Madhes Province. According to them, if political parties and candidates fail to prioritize forest and environmental protection in the upcoming polls, the ecological degradation of the Chure region could pose a severe threat to livelihoods and human security in the Tarai-Madhes plains.
Environmentalist Dinesh Yadav stressed that all three tiers of government must treat Chure conservation as a priority. “Political parties must clearly present their views and roles in conserving Chure through this election. If the Chure loses its original topography and ecological characteristics, restoration will be extremely difficult,” he said.
Yadav added that around 15 percent of the fertile land in the Tarai-Madhes region has been adversely affected by floods and erosion, blaming continued neglect of the issue. He argued that elections present a crucial opportunity to address long-standing environmental concerns.
Nepali Sah, a local resident of Lahan-17, expressed concern that the Chure region has been rapidly degrading in recent decades, contributing to increasing floods and inundation in the Madhes plains. He said party manifestos should clearly reflect commitments to conservation and outline concrete action plans.
Similarly, Lagan Lal Chaudhary, who heads a local gully management committee, said it is urgent to curb the illegal extraction of stones, pebbles and sand from the Chure area. However, he noted that many election candidates appear indifferent to the issue.
Chief of the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Siraha, Narendra Mahaseth, said Chure conservation is directly linked to sustainable agriculture and overall prosperity in Madhes. “Protecting Chure means protecting water sources, land and the ecological balance,” he underscored, urging parties to place it at the top of their agenda.
Another local, Anil Chaudhary, said residents expect realistic and achievable commitments from election candidates regarding Chure conservation, emphasizing that environmental protection must translate into concrete policy actions after the polls.
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