Nepal is observing the 11th Chure Conservation Day on Monday to mark the establishment of the President Chure-Terai Madhesh Conservation Development Committee.
Since its establishment, nearly NPR 15 billion has been spent in the name of Chure conservation. By the end of the fiscal year 2080/81 B.S. (2023/24), the committee had spent NPR 14.96 billion. According to the committee, the financial progress during this period stands at 88.93%, while physical progress has reached 91.84 per cent.
So far, the committee has constructed 412 kilometres of embankments along rivers and streams, developed 162 hectares of green belts, conserved or reconstructed 139 wetlands/lakes, built 628 rainwater harvesting ponds, and conserved 548 water sources.
The committee was established on June 16, 2014, to contribute to poverty reduction through the conservation of natural resources in the Chure region, sustainable management, and promotion of ecosystem services. The committee reports that it has undertaken gully control, landslide management, and stream regulation in 1,459 locations, and expanded multi-year crops on 166 hectares of sloped agricultural land since its inception.
The committee has implemented greenery promotion programs on 5,230 hectares and produced and distributed 29.349 million saplings.
Why is Chure important?
At the foothills of the Chure region lies the Bhabar zone—a flat terrain formed by stones, gravel, sand, and pebbles carried by rivers from the Chure hills. This area plays a crucial role in storing water and recharging underground aquifers for the southern plains of the Terai. The Chure region of Nepal accounts for 73 per cent of the country’s total forested land area.
