PM’s press advisor’s claim that Chure hills lie only in Nepal is wrong

Surya Thapa, the press advisor to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli appeared on the Janata Janna Chahanchhan interview programme aired by Prime Times Television on June 6 and discussed the current political situation. Thapa was interviewed in the wake of a government decision to export sand, stones and aggregates to neighbouring countries. The decision announced through the budget for the fiscal year 2021/2022 has met with widespread criticism from environmentalists, experts, opposition parties and the public. The decision has generated a lot of discussion on the ecological impact of the exploitation of the mineral resources from the Chure range, which is a buffer between the Tarai plains and the hills. During the 47-minute interview, Thapa claimed that Chure (or Churia) range lies only in Nepal.

He said, “There is the president’s Chure programme [The President Chure-Tarai Madhes Conservation Development Board] and there is a 20-year master plan, for which more than Rs 1.5 billion has been allocated. The [president-led] Chure conservation development board is doing its work. Chure is the lifeline of the Tarai and it should be protected. There is no Chure anywhere in the world except for Nepal. And, only Nepal has been running Chure conservation as a model programme.”