Difficulty in patrolling due to lack of roads and inundation
An army post has been established in the area near Panchhi Lake of Shuklaphanta National Park, which is being encroached upon by Indian citizens. A new army post has been established in the area for the security of the park itself.
Between the boundary pillars 27 and 28, the auxiliary border pillar was missing, and the Indian side was encroaching on the area and doing farming.
Purushottam Wagle, conservation officer of the park, said that the post was established in the first week of May. According to him, due to the lack of roads in the area where the post is established, there is a problem in patrolling. Wag says that even to reach from one border post to another border post, you have to walk for one and a half hours .
"Indians are cultivating in the place where the auxiliary border pillar is missing," Wagle said, "SSB is also saying that there is a problem because there is no border pillar, they have not even helped to remove the Indian citizens." But in winter, they come with a tractor and sow wheat. The park has estimated that about 900 bighas of land has been encroached upon in that area. But looking at Google, it appears that 400 bighas have been encroached upon, said Wagle, the conservation officer.
Wheat farming done by Indians in winter in the area near Panchhi Lake of Shuklaphanta National Park. File photo, Courtesy: Shuklaphanta National Park
At present, it is not possible to patrol all areas from where the post is established . Wagle says that it is not possible to reach all places due to the problem of roads and bridges, along with inundation in Barkha. "If not in all areas, at least encroachment will be stopped in the area where posts are established," he said. Along with the Nepali Army, park staff are also deployed at the
post. The post established now is at a distance of four/five kilometers from Shuklaphanta post . But due to the problem of the road itself, there are problems in the neighborhood. It is not certain whether the security personnel can stay there because there will be more flooding during the rainy season.
Conservation officer Wag says that the main thing is to remove the encroachment in the area in a sustainable way and to find an auxiliary border pillar for dispute resolution. The SSB has also been giving non-cooperation to stop the Indian citizens who are doing farming saying that it cannot be distinguished as Nepali or Indian territory in the place where there is no auxiliary border pillar.
The issue of Indian farming by encroaching on the park was also raised in the parliament. After that, along with the team of the park, the team of the district administration and the security agency also reached the encroached area. This matter was also discussed with the Indian security agencies.
The post of the Nepali Army established to remove encroachment in the area near Panchhi Lake of Shuklaphanta National Park.
