Chure, also known as Siwalik, is the youngest hill formed by the deposition of the river products around four crore years ago. It is extended from the Indus river of Pakistan in the West and Bharamaputra of India in the East and constitutes mainly of sandstone, mudstone, and conglomerates which are not fully adjusted, and all the rivers and rivulets from the Mahabharat range flow from this area to the Terai, which is naturally very sensitive area. In Nepal, chure extends from Illam in the east to Kanchanpur in the west covering an area of approximately 800km in 37 districts ( 12.78% of the total land of Nepal ).
Why Chure conservation is important in Nepal?
- Chure is the youngest and most vulnerable hill.
- It is main source of water for Terai- Madhesh and about 50 percent of the total population of Nepal lives in Terai Madhes.
- To reduce the damage caused by climate change and natural disasters by ensuring sustainable management of natural resources (land, water, vegetation and biodiversity) in the Chure Terai region.
- To minimize the damage caused by water-borne disasters in Chure Hills, Dun and Terai Madhes and to continue the flow of environmental services.
- Increase access to domestic energy use and increase access to wood, firewood and fuel resources for residents (especially in the Terai Madhes) who are far away from the national forest.
- After the eradication of malaria, human settlements were expanding in Chure and Bhavar areas. Thereafter, deforestation for cultivation and cultivation gradually increased. Deforestation, overuse of forest products, open grazing, unscientific land use, etc. have led to a decline in the biodiversity and land productivity of the region, which has had a negative impact on the overall ecosystem of the region.
- The condition of water bodies in the Chure Hills and Bhawar region is deteriorating, many environmental problems are appearing in Terai-Madhesh and water resources are also drying up.
- Most of the annual floods are due to the accumulation of sand and silt in the arable lands of the Terai Madhes and the erosion and inundation of the villages
- If this is not stopped in time, the ecosystem of the Chure region will become more vulnerable and the people’s life in the Terai-Madhesh may become even more critical.
- Chure is rich in biodiversity.
- For improving the livelihood of locals.
If the deteriorating activities are not stooped on time consequences would be even worse for Chure and the people of Terai. With this in mind, the Government of Nepal launched the ‘Presidential Chure Conservation Program’ (PCCP) from the Fiscal Year 2066/67 to conduct Chure Conservation as a campaign. PCCP received the 1st priority and is recognized as National Pride Project. Master Plan(MP) has been prepared for effective conservation of Chure for 20 years and endorsed on 2079/2/4. The MP has identified total of 164 rivers in 36 districts of the Chure belt, where the board will be working over the years. Currently, the board has been running integrated river system management in 52 rivershttps://kathmandupost.com/national/2017/10/14/chure-conservation-project-seeking-funds-from-non-govt-donors.
