The rain-swollen Mahakali river has eroded a vast swathe of forestland in western region of Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR) this year as well.

Continuous erosion in the region has put the swamp deer habitat at risk, the SWR officials said.

Monsoon floods are responsible for the shrinking forestland from Pipariyaghat to Dhakanaghat since 2001, said Karna Bahadur Bam, of the SWR.

Every year, he said, the reserve has been losing up to 30 metres of forest area to floods.

Till date, the SWR has lost nearly 15 km of its forest cover at Pipariyaghat, Gadarghat, Simlaphanta and Dhakanaghat.

The Mahakali river has already swallowed the forest land at Sishamjhala and Ranijhala Chorjhala.

Arjundev Joshi, a former game scout of the SWR, said the river will enter the reserve and wreak havoc if the erosion-risk areas are not protected.

The SWR officials say their repeated requests to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation for finding a solution to stop the erosion have gone unheeded.

Karnali threatens three Kailali VDCs 

TIKAPUR: The settlements lying close to the Karnali river in Tikapur, Narayanpur and Dhansinghpur VDCs of Kailali district have been exposed to flood risk, with the river eroding the land at Dulatpurghat. If the erosion is not controlled, the floodwater will enter our villages, said Dirgha Thakulla, of Dhansinghpur. People living in settlements vulnerable to flood have urged the office of Rani Jamara Kulariya Irrigation Project to control the erosion.