Jun 14, Kathmandu - The Division Forest Office of Kailali has issued a serious warning regarding social media reports claiming that a temple vehicle was pushed off a cliff in Godavari Municipality Ward No. 4. The office clarified that the vehicle in question was not operational or moving; it was merely a makeshift bamboo structure used as a shop built within the illegal encroachment area of the Chure Forest.

In a press release, the office emphasized that the Gadawari Community Forest’s Gaimare Chure Forest area—an ecologically sensitive and fragile zone—has long been plagued by illegal land grabs and the construction of unauthorized structures. These activities, including excavations and illegal sale of government land, have persisted for years. Over the past five months, new illegal structures have been erected in the area.

One such structure involved a metal frame, brought in by Gyanashyam Dhami, which was used as a shop hut. The structure was non-motorized, difficult to move, and made of bamboo, and the forest office had directed its removal a month ago. While ten other illegal structures have been dismantled, Dhami resisted removal efforts.

Previously, forest officials had pushed the vehicle’s bamboo frame back to his house, but Dhami later reassembled it at the same location to continue his shop operations. When attempts were made to remove it, he allegedly responded with verbal abuse.

On Friday, a forest team launched a renewed campaign to remove the encroachment. During the operation, efforts to dislodge the bamboo structure using force resulted in the structure becoming unstable due to the uneven terrain, causing it to fall off the cliff with a vehicle underneath, the office reported.

The Kailali Division Forest Office urged the public not to spread misinformation or exaggerate the law enforcement efforts and to understand the factual situation. They emphasized that their actions are in accordance with legal procedures to protect the forest.