Environmental degradation has been caused by unplanned development activities and road connectivity project initiated by local governments in Gulmi (a hill district in Lumbini Province).
After the 2017 local elections, all 12 Gulmi local units prioritized road construction in their annual budgets. For the construction of roads with heavy machinery, thousands were removed from trees.
According to data from local units, 28 518 trees were felled during construction of roads in the district over the past five year.
Most rural roads built by the local government didn’t undergo an environmental impact assessment. The deforestation of roads has led to landslides, and the drying up natural water sources in the area.
Resunga Municipality, where the district headquarters of Gulmi is located, constructed several road stretches including Tamghas-Palalmi, Tamghas-Resunga, Garjura-Bhadgaun, Pandehelpokhara-Banjhapokhari and a ring road around the municipality in the past five years. In the same way, the water resources in the area have been decreasing at a rapid pace over the past few years.
According to the municipal offices, the natural water resources at Kholtepani (Pandherathari), Chhaharakhola Rolkhola Changkhola Balkate, Upallopani, and Attarkanda have dried up in recent decades due to haphazard road construction, heavy machinery, and fragile topography.
Residents of Resunga-3’s Bhadgaun settlement and Attarkanda, Balkate and Balkate settlements are experiencing severe water shortages. All water sources have dried up because of the unplanned road construction projects. Resunga-3 Laxmi Kunwar stated that the water crisis has disproportionately affected women and villagers.
Traditional rural water management was the responsibility of women.
After the natural water springs in their village dried up, women in affected villages must walk miles to get water. Batukrishna, an environmental lawyer, stated that the women are also having difficulty collecting firewood and fodder because of the extensive deforestation in this area. The government has not implemented effective laws to conserve the environment.
According to data provided by the Post, approximately 200 natural water sources have dried up in the district over the past few years.
Resunga Municipality’s spokesperson Padam Prasad, Aryal, admitted that the municipality had cut down thousands upon construction of around a dozen roads. However, they did not carry out an environmental impact analysis.
A recent study The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, and the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation show that natural water sources are becoming increasingly scarce and unstable in Nepal because of the unplanned constructions of roads and buildings.
The study of 300 local units in the hill and mountain regions of Nepal revealed that water sources had dried up in approximately 74 percent of these bodies, while water sources were shifting to other locations in only 58 percent.
District residents are prone to landslides due to the frequent use of excavators, dozers, and excavators when building roads. Flooding and landslides are also possible due to the haphazard disposal of soil and stones in road construction.
According to Gulmi District Police Office, 2,968 landslides were caused by haphazard road building in the district. The landslides destroyed 247 houses as well as 165 animal sheds. During the same period, landslides resulted in the deaths of 36 people as well as 210 domesticated animals.
In the same area, landslides also destroyed hectares of agricultural land. Around 20 ropanis were lost to seven households at Bhadgaun (Resunga-3). The rainwater swept away soil, stones and other debris that were left behind while building roads in the region.
We used to grow paddy and wheat, maize, and other legumes, and raise animals in our four ropanis. Krishna Kumari Kunwar, Resunga-3, stated that now we must work in other people’s fields because the mudslides have buried our land.
Over 9,249 trees were felled during construction of roads in Dhurkot Rural Municipality over the past five-years. The rural municipal office claims that it tried to minimize environmental damage while building roads and other infrastructure in the local area.
Roads are an important infrastructure for development. It is vital for the economic development in rural areas as well as the transportation of local goods to the markets. Bhupal Pakhrel, the chairman, stated that road construction has been prioritized. The municipality has emphasized minimizing the environmental impacts of development projects and preventing soil erosion during construction of roads.