Even though 33 commissions have been formed so far, the problem of displaced people has not been resolved.
What you should know
An area of 514.31 hectares of Shuklaphanta National Park has been encroached. Approximately 374.42 hectares of the park's Dhakka, Tarapur and Lallare Danda areas have been encroached upon.
The park office has also stated that about 139.89 hectares of park land has been encroached on in the Nepal-India border area of Pillar No. 28. People displaced during the expansion of the then Shuklaphanta reserve are living in the encroached area.
Purushottam Wagle, the park's information officer, informed that 604 families are living encroached on in Dhaka, 155 in Tarapur and 13 in Lalleri. According to him, Indian citizens have been encroaching on about 139.89 hectares of park land in the Nepal-India border area of Pillar No. 28.
Information Officer Wagle said that the human settlement in the core area of the park will affect the habitat of wildlife. 'People displaced from the park have been living in the core area, which is causing problems for the habitat of wildlife,' he said, 'Even those living here cannot get minimum services. That is why both sides have been affected by the settlement in the core area.'
Wagle said that the core area of the park has been encroached on as the problem of displaced people from the park has not been resolved. He said that even though 33 commissions have been formed so far, the problem of displaced people from the reserve has not been resolved. There has also been encroachment in the park area between Pillars No. 28 and 27 of the Nepal-India border. Information Officer Wagle said that the area has become disputed because there is no sub-pillar between the main pillar on the border.
'Indian citizens have been farming in the said area, we also have a claim on that area,' he said, 'Last Jestha, the Nepali Army and the National Park Office have jointly established a post near Pillar No. 28.' He informed that the army has established a post and started patrolling in the area where the Indian side is encroaching and farming.
Currently, there are 15 joint security posts of the Nepali Army and the National Park Office at various places in the national park to protect the park, while the army has deployed troops from three separate posts.
In 2058 BS, people who were displaced during the expansion of the eastern area of the then Shuklaphanta Reserve (current Shuklaphanta National Park) have encroached on various places in the park, which is increasing the human-wildlife conflict. The park office has stated that 17 people, including three women and 14 men, have died in wild elephant attacks here in the past decade.
