Urgent call for Chure conservation to prevent Madhesh desertification

November 27, Kathmandu: Stakeholders have underscored the urgent need for Chure region conservation, stating that water resource management and disaster recovery in Madhes are impossible without it. They attribute the region’s disasters to uncontrolled Chure excavation and are calling for immediate action to halt its exploitation.

These sentiments were expressed at a programme organized by the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat on “Water Resource Management of Kamala River Basin’ in Janakpurdham on Sunday,

Nathu Prasad Chaudhary, Vice Chairman of the Policy and Planning Commission of Madhes Province, warned that the region could become a desert within 10-15 years if the current rate of Chure exploitation continues. He urged all levels of government and development partners to collaborate on drafting a Chure Conservation Act.

Government officials, including Sushil Chandra Tiwari, Secretary at the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, and Ashok Kumar Sah, Secretary at the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development of Madhes Province, highlighted ongoing efforts for sustainable water resource management and called for improved coordination among different agencies.

The Australian Embassy, represented by Kavitha Kasynathan, Head of Development Cooperation, expressed readiness to support the Kamala River Basin Water Resource Management and Development Strategy. Mayors and other participants echoed the call for an official mechanism that includes all stakeholders from the affected areas.