Kathmandu, May 31: Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) has demanded that the government immediately withdraw the decision to export material like stone, gravel and sand to reduce the trade deficit.

The government decision is not in favor of the country from environmental, financial and social perspective as it is against the conservation, NEFEJ said today in a press statement. “The government has taken a decision with a wrong notion of reducing the trade deficit, as it will only impact the fragile hill region of Chure.”

The young hilly region of Chure is spread in 36 districts from east to west and has occupied 12.78 percent of the country’s geographic area, NEFEJ said. It reminded that the government had imposed a ban on export of construction material seven years ago to preserve the fragile hills of Chure region, as it is the roof of the Tarai plains.

Saying that the government decision is against its own work to preserve the region by spending billions of rupees till now, NEFEJ said that the government decision of extracting and exporting construction materials would lead to desertification of Tarai region. “The further extraction in and around the region would not only create shortage of drinking water but also impact the overall food production in Tarai and will have negative impact on the livelihood of people living in the plains,” it said.

NEFEJ, therefore, demands that the government immediately withdraws its decision to export construction materials and instead, carry out detailed study on the issue.