The government has reduced the budget for the conservation of the Chure region in the upcoming fiscal year, allocating only around NPR 100 crore. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle stated in Parliament that the budget aims to sustain the water cycle in the Chure and Terai-Madhesh regions. However, stakeholders have expressed concern that the budget provisions for stone, gravel, and sand mining may increase exploitation of the Chure area. Kathmandu, 16 Jestha. The government, which remained silent on Chure conservation in its policy and program, has made a significant budget cut for this region’s protection in the upcoming fiscal year. While NPR 169 crore was allocated for Chure conservation in fiscal year 2082/83, the current government has reduced it to approximately NPR 100 crore for the next fiscal year.
During the budget presentation in the federal parliament, Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle remarked, ‘To sustain the water cycle of the Chure and Terai-Madhesh regions, I have allocated nearly NPR 100 crore to activities such as water source conservation, pond construction, landslide control, and embankment building.’ Additionally, the budget statement highlights an ‘Industrial Development’ section that identifies suitable sites from an environmental perspective to manage extraction and processing of stone, gravel, and sand. This inclusion has raised concerns among stakeholders about increased exploitation of the Chure region. Chure conservation activist Sunil Yadav criticized the budget, stating that while the government has arranged for deep tubewells to address water problems for people in Terai-Madhesh, it has still allocated funds that encourage exploitation of the Chure, which is essential for underground water recharge.
According to Yadav, the current government does not understand the sensitivity of the Chure. ‘Previous governments didn’t understand it, and the current government still doesn’t; the Chure is undergoing desertification,’ he said. ‘The upcoming fiscal year’s budget also does not reflect the government’s sensitivity toward the Chure.’ The Chure mountain range covers 37 districts out of Nepal’s 77. It is considered environmentally sensitive due to its biodiversity and water resources. Experts say that exploitation of the Chure is the main reason for drying water sources and declining agricultural productivity in the Terai-Madhesh region.
