Mustang become a green

A campaign to conserve environment by planting saplings is bearing fruit for local residents in Mustang district. Various mother groups, youth clubs and local people had committed to the campaign, which is now seeing previously bare hills boasting lush green cover.

Initiated by the District Soil Conservation Office (DSCO) and the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), the campaign has now been spread to Lomanthang, Charang, Chhoser and Surkhang of Upper Mustang and Chhusang, Muktinath, Kagbeni and Jomsom of Lower Mustang.

DSCO Chief Hridaya Prasad Shrestha said the campaign was started four years ago and that local people were very enthusiastic about forest conservation. “This campaign will help control soil erosion and also enable local people earn their livelihood through forest resources,” he said. Local residents in the areas have been able to use forest resources for fodder and firewood and environment is also getting cleaner, he added.

The DSCO has been providing 5,000 saplings and also Rs 17 as an incentive for each sapling planted to local people every year. ACAP Chief Niranjan Dhungana said his office has also been giving an incentive of Rs 15 to local people for

each sapling planted.

“The campaign has really helped conserve the environment and made us independent,” said Potaling Mothers’ Group Chairperson Jiangmu Bista, who is involved in planting trees in Lomathang. Dhungana said more than 500,000 saplings have already been planted in Upper Mustang so far. “Local women groups and youth clubs alone planted more than 200,000 saplings,” he said. Local people have also been planting apple trees in Mustang’s bare hills. “All hilly areas will be covered with green trees within just a few years,” said Surendra Bista, a social worker in Lomanthang.