NEPAL NATURE(8)

PHULCHOKI, Make it a Reserve



A decade and half ago, it seemed as if Phulchowki was on the verge of no return. The drilling and blasting at the Marble Quarry, the reckless felling of trees for wood and fodder, indiscriminate shooting of innocent wildlife, intentional forest fires in the dry season, irresponsible picnickers littering the trail and roadside, charcoal burners, and scores of other tidbits of human activities had almost ensured that Phulchowki would be reduced to a desert of shrubs and weeds! The rescue came in 1995. The Nepal Government finally gave a big chunk of the Phulchowki jungle to the safekeeping of those who once freely helped themselves to the riches of the forest. As a result, it has been guarded quite zealously by the communities of the many villages of Godavari. Each village ward has been designated a certain tract of the forest to protect and care for. It is heartening to note that the result is very commendable.

The choking growth of the forest is periodically cleared by some of the more responsible caretakers. The dead wood can be collected once a year by the villagers for a nominal fee of Rs. 5/- per load. Guards, locals locally selected, prowl through the jungle to dissuade people from the tempting use of the axe. The success is, indeed, laudable. However, the tract of the forest thus protected is below the halfway point of Phulchowki. As a result, a lot of illegal activities are still being perpetrated up there while some forms of poaching and pilfering continue unabated, despite good protection, in the lower areas. Marble quarry was certainly a big contributor to the degradation of the forest. Annihilating an irreplaceable portion of the forest just to get at the rocks below is a disheartening theme to speculate on. A proper geological survey in Nepal would certainly reveal good sources of lime rocks elsewhere that would have a minimal impact on the environment when quarrying! Just fortunately, it is no longer functioning as a mining company, thanks to the politicians who cut the goose that was laying golden eggs for them.

The government needs to think very seriously for the future well being of Phulchowki and its denizens. There are still problems such as littering (plastics) by revelers, poaching of pheasants and larger herbivores, and though not seen as a threat, the diversion of water from their sources for household uses. Phulchowki needs to be recognized as a reserve!