सिंहदरबार संवाददाता
Palpa. The word Laurepalo is not heard anywhere now. It feels surprising to hear this word. The lively story of Laurepale is connected to Ramche Community Forest. When the name of Ramche Community Forest in Rampur Municipality-5 of Palpa is mentioned, the interesting memory of Laurepale is fresh in the minds of consumers. But now Laurepale is not practiced here.
The forest has taken on a new form and has developed into a tourist center. Now the eco-tourism here has attracted tourists. Since it is located in the central part of Rampur, the view of the lush, tourist-attracting forest is making the mind happy. Ramche Forest, which has become a jewel of tourism, is now an excellent tourist destination, 74-year-old Nagilal Poudel is happy to see that it has become an excellent tourist destination. The locals emphasized on the conservation of the barren bare hill, so it could not be used as a tourist development to enjoy the coolness of the forest, clean air, and to study and observe natural objects, and to conserve nature, said Paude.
‘It has become a model worth observing, I feel proud that I am a lucky consumer to see so many changes in the forest that I saw as a bare hill in my own lifetime,’ he said. ‘In 2039 BS, it was just a barren bare hill, and the locals thought that it could be made a model forest by planting trees and making it green in the future. What can we do now when we see the changes in our own lifetime?’, he said.
Efforts to conserve the forest have been started since 2039 BS with the active participation of locals. At that time, he worked in the Panchayat Committee for the protection of the forest. After Poudel was registered as a community forest, he has actively served at various times as the committee, vice-chairman, and chairman.
If the locals had not protected it, this forest would have remained a bare hill. He said, “The animals that went to the forest to graze were visible on the bare hill, the cows and goats were sent to the top and we were watched sitting in the fields below, but now the forest is dense, lush, and has been developed as an eco-tourism area, and all consumers are aware of conservation.”
Out of the approximately 102 hectares of area, five hectares are being allocated as an eco-tourism area and tourism infrastructure development work is being carried out, said Dayaram Gaire, chairman of the Forest Consumers Group. Chairman Gaire said that with the help of the District Division Forest Office, a viewing tower, a place for forest feasting, toilets, tree houses, swings, water fountains, statues of Ramsita and Hanuman, a waiting room, drinking water facilities, paved walkways, and flower beds have been prepared.
There is a meeting hall with a capacity of about 350 people. Programs such as meetings, ceremonies, and seminars of various organizations are held here. According to him, more than 100 people come to observe the tourist area every day. There is a lot of crowd on Saturdays and holidays. Currently, a forest group is keeping a watchman for the entry of the view tower area and the maintenance of the eco-tourism area. ‘Since the market of Rampur is close, the number of people coming to this area from far away for sightseeing and forest feasting has been increasing recently. Since there is a dense population below, people come to seek the coolness of the forest in the afternoon and evening,’ said Chairman Gaire.
Ramchevan is now a favorite of many people as it can be easily reached by small and large vehicles from Bejhad Bazaar. The attraction of the youth group to enjoy the natural environment here is increasing. The main market of Rampur is located about 250 meters above Bejhad Bazaar. Last year, two swings, a tree house, and statues of Ramsita and Hanuman were constructed from the forest source.
The forest contains major species such as sal, chilaune, saaj, saaj, jamuno, amla, sarpagandh, and harrobaro. There are wild animals such as deer, kalij, chicken, and tiger here. The forest is being looked after and maintained by each user. There are currently 321 households in the forest group. As the government has put forward the ‘One Community Forest, One Garden’ program to promote environment and tourism, this Ramche Community Forest has been focusing on the development of the tourist area.
It was developed as a forest picnic spot since 2054. With the aim of ecotourism in the forest, there has been a lot of activity as a forest picnic since 2065/66. After the viewing tower came into operation in 2072, the attraction of tourists started increasing. The view of the valley of the Kaligandaki Valley, including Rampur Valley, Chapakot of Syangja, Ghiring area of Tanahun, and other places can be seen clearly from the five-story viewing tower here.
B. Since the forests were nationalized in 2013, the work of clearing forests to create land was done, and after the restoration of democracy in 2047 BS, the new Forest Act 2049 BS and the Forest Regulations 2051 BS provided for the provision of community forests, and the consumer group was registered with the policy of legally transferring the forests to the community to protect and use them. BS. The concept of Ramche Forest came into being in 2030/32 BS. The then Rampur Village Panchayat came up with the idea that Ramche Forest should be protected and started taking care of the forest by deputing ward office assistants. After being handed over as a community forest in 2047 BS, it has improved a lot and has become lush.
Today, tourists feel happy when they enter the forest for forest feasts and walks in the forest that he has served daily after enduring the fear, terror, and attacks of wild animals, said 80-year-old Chandra Kala Nepali. He has been responsible for taking care of the forest for a long time of his life. Seeing the small plants growing up now, he said that he loved the forest as if he were raising his own children. He used to wake up at 4 am and go to look after the forest, but he was afraid of wild animals. There are many days when he returned home after escaping attacks by animals such as leopards and monkeys. He used to return home after seeing the entire forest every day and it was night. He said that he is happy to see that the forest that he had grown with great pain has now changed so much and become a large forest.
Source of income of the forest group
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## The sale of firewood and wood chips produced in the forest is the source of income. In addition, the forest is also earning income from eco-tourism. The forest group earns an average of Rs 600,000 annually from timber and firewood. Last year alone, it is said that it earned Rs 900,000 by selling timber and firewood. Annually, it earns about Rs 100,000 from eco-tourism, assembly halls, and forest feasts. To raise the income level of the poor, amriso and grass have been planted in an area of about two hectares. Poor people are earning income from this. The consumer committee has set certain criteria for those who want to become new consumer members. The normal fee for members separated from the same household is Rs 300, while new users will have to pay an entry fee of Rs 25,000.
Current condition of the forest
The sal trees protected by the user committee have grown rapidly. The age of the sal trees is 35 years. On average, 40-inch-round trees have been prepared. The forest is being developed by dividing ten blocks. Every year, the wood and firewood produced from bush improvement are distributed free of charge to users. Wood and firewood are provided to users at affordable prices. The forest has now become a tourist area by protecting the naturally grown plants. Keeping in mind the needs of the consumers, grass, firewood, and apples are provided during festivals and at various times.
Free wood and firewood will be distributed to consumers in natural disasters. Firewood is available on the basis of the consumer’s request for religious and social activities. 25 percent of the income earned by the forest group is spent for the welfare of the poor, 25 percent is invested in forest promotion, and the remaining amount is spent on social sectors such as roads and pandhera.
Rotary work to grow plants
The forest group started a rotary work from the users to grow plants. Two people from each household started taking turns to look after the forest daily. This work went on for about a decade. As the plants started growing, it is said that the forest group stopped the rotary work and hired one watcher from among the users for a fixed remuneration. The rotary work was divided according to the village. This continued continuously. From morning to evening, two users had to go around the forest daily and look after it. After returning from the forest, it was customary to hand over the rotary to the next user’s house in the evening. According to the rule of taking the rotary work the next day, all users had to mandatorily look after the forest.
The new plans are as follows
The forest group has a plan to build a mini zoo targeting tourists coming here. A detailed study report (DPR) has been prepared for that. A wetland will be created by building a dam and a pond in Belkholsi. Preparations are underway to create a wetland for water storage, forest management, and protection of the water sources within the forest. It is said that a wooden suspension bridge will be built over the wetland targeted at tourists in this area, and a large park with a garden will be built in the forest group’s office building premises.
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