Kathmandu, July 10: Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment, Gita Chaudhary, has said the Ministry had prioritized the safety and relief to farmers and local communities affected by human-wildlife conflict.
In response to the lawmakers’ queries related to the Ministry in the National Assembly meeting on Friday, Minister Chaudhary informed that construction of necessary infrastructure along with prevention and protection programmes were given continuity to reduce human-wildlife conflict. “A budget of Rs. 411 million was allocated for the fiscal year, 2083/84 under the human-wildlife coexistence programme,” she said.
According to her, the budget would be utilized for constructing ponds and solar fences, creating grasslands, purchasing equipment related to wildlife handling and rescue and constructing mesh wire fences for the protection of agricultural land and construction of other infrastructures.
“Since the above programme will be executed in the buffer zone, it is legally mandatory to conduct training in the related community for capacity development, livelihood, conservation awareness as per the Buffer Zone Management Regulations, 2052,” she explained.
The Minister also said programmes to mitigate impacts of climate change were also in high priority.
