Illegal tree felling and timber smuggling rife during lockdown in Sarlahi

Kathmandu - Scores of trees are being illegally felled daily in the Sagarnath forest area in the district since the beginning of the lockdown. The Sagarmath Forest Development Project is without its chief after then project chief Devesh Mani Tripathi left the project following his promotion.

Timber smugglers have become active seizing on the lockdown and the project not having its chief. It is said even some staffers at the project are colluding with the timber smugglers in the illegal felling taking place in the national forest area. An employee at the Project on condition of anonymity said that 100 thousand cubic feet timber kept at the project's godown has been stolen and not to mention about rampant chopping down fresh trees in the national forest.