Deforestation started 18 years ago due to a dispute between local communities. According to locals, the dispute flared up after six Dalit families claimed they bought six ropanis of land in the forest area.

They said people of other villages also felled trees, taking advantage of the dispute. “The forest was dense 20 years ago. Now only 20-30 living trees are left,” local resident Dilip Singh Bhat said.

Bishram Karki, a local, said though they informed the District Forest Office (DFO) of deforestation, no action has been initiated to control it. “We informed the DFO of deforestation. However, government officials and forest guards failed to control it due to insurgency at that time,” he said.

Although DFO started conservation of the forest five years ago, results are not satisfactory, locals said. They said that the villages are on risk of landslides and erosion due to deforestation. They also accused some locals of chopping trees to encroach upon the forest land.