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Locals in Chisapani, Bardaghat Municipality-2, Nawalparasi, have demanded that 8.5 bighas of land be transferred to the local government. The land, registered under the National Housing Company Limited Planning Office, Nawalparasi, has been at the center of controversy for years. Originally, 17 bighas, 12 katthas, and two dhurs in Makar-2/C, Plot No. 1310, were designated as a “Green Belt” in 1977. However, the dispute escalated after the survey office registered it in the name of the housing company on 16 Aug 2004.

Of the total land, about nine bighas were handed over to Divya Jyoti Multiple Campus. Locals are now demanding that the remaining eight bighas, two katthas, and 12 dhurs be transferred to the local government. Meanwhile, the housing company has sold three bighas to Timilsina Traders through a tender process.

Residents strongly oppose the sale and have urged the government to form a “Chisapani Land Facilitation Committee” to bring the land under local ownership. “Locals have been protecting this land since 1977. We believe it was sold in collusion with the land mafia. All of it, including the portion already sold, should belong to the local government. We are ready to pay the required price,” said Prem Bhujel, coordinator of the committee.

Currently, Chisapani Hospital operates on about five bighas of the land, with a trauma center under construction on the same site. Forty-two unorganized houses also exist in the area. The committee has been holding consultations with political parties, organizations, and stakeholders from ward to district levels, while also collecting signatures in support of its demand.

The three bighas sold to Timilsina Traders have yet to be transferred. Although the land was auctioned for Rs 220m about three years ago, the transfer stalled due to local opposition. Some residents filed a case in the Supreme Court seeking cancellation, but the Court ruled in favor of the traders.

According to Mahendra Thapa, head of the National Housing Company Planning Office, the traders paid only a 10 percent deposit and have not cleared the remaining amount. “There is pressure to divide the land into 52 plots and hand it over, but the process has stalled due to local resistance,” Thapa said. He added that the sale was conducted in line with government rules and that further decisions rest with the government.

Bardaghat Municipality Mayor Shambhulal Shrestha said efforts are underway to bring more than five bighas of the disputed land under municipal jurisdiction. “Out of the eight bighas, three have already been sold, and since the Supreme Court has ruled on that, nothing more can be done. But we are working to secure the remaining land in the municipality’s name,” Shrestha said.

The municipality has also leased 1.5 bighas from the National Housing Company for 40 years at an annual fee of Rs 350,000. A trauma center is currently under construction there, while initiatives are being taken to provide land documents to Chisapani Hospital and local residents living in unorganized settlements.

Most of Karnali Province’s population depends on the highway. According to the 2021 census, 73.7 percent of the province’s population is engaged in agriculture. The highway serves as a vital means of transporting products to markets and accessing health services, education, employment, and trade.

Tek Bahadur Shahi, an apple farmer from Chilkhaya, Kalikot, said, “The highway gets blocked by landslides just when it is time to take apples to market. This affects our annual income. Trucks carrying apples stop every day near the Gagane River. Many apples rot on the way. Our product struggles to reach the market, and this has reduced our earnings.”

The Karnali Highway is equally critical for health services. It is the only convenient route for transporting seriously ill patients from remote districts such as Mugu, Jumla, and Kalikot to well-equipped hospitals. Even in districts with air services, flights are often grounded during the monsoon due to bad weather, leaving the highway as the only option.

Kalikot MP and Deputy Speaker of the Karnali Provincial Assembly, Yasoda Neupane, said, “The government does not listen to Karnali’s suffering. We have repeatedly requested sufficient budget allocations for landslide management and for building better roads along the Karnali Highway. But the government ignores us and our representatives. People here are suffering, and we are even being insulted.” She recalled that when a landslide blocked the Gagane River road for five days, apple trucks from Jumla and Kalikot were stranded along the way.

The tourism sector in Karnali is also badly affected during the rainy season. The province is home to many attractive destinations that remain popular year-round, especially during the monsoon when the greenery is most vibrant. However, tourism entrepreneur Kamal Gautam said, “Visiting Karnali in the rainy season is not easy because of floods and landslides. Transportation and air services are convenient only in the dry season, but that is not when Karnali’s true beauty is revealed. Moreover, climate change is now seriously impacting tourism here. This has long-term negative effects on the province’s economic development. The government must improve road infrastructure and make Karnali a destination accessible to tourists year-round.”

Karnali’s geography is complex, with many areas prone to landslides due to weak ground stability and fragile terrain. Heavy rainfall and flooding further destabilize slopes, while human activities such as deforestation, unplanned construction, and haphazard road building exacerbate the problem. Addressing these challenges requires modern technology and long-term planning for effective disaster risk reduction in Karnali.

Gen Z protesters have started gathering in New Baneshwor of Kathmandu on Tuesday.

The Gen Z youths, who have gathered in New Baneshwor from various places of Kathmandu, are preparing for the demonstration.

There have been reports that Gen Z’s have already started demonstrations in various other places.

At least 19 Gen Z protesters died in clashes with security personnel across the country on Monday.

The Health Ministry informed that 347 persons were injured in the incident.

The government has decided to carry out a judicial investigation of the loss of lives and properties during the Gen Z protests across the country on Monday. 

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Monday decided to carry out the judicial probe of the incident, according to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung. 

The meeting extended sympathies to the families of the bereaved ones and decided to provide relief and compensation, ensure free treatment to the injured ones, Minister Gurung said. 

The government has also urged the Gen-Z to postpone their protest programs and cooperate with the government for maintaining law and order. 

The cabinet meeting came to the conclusion that infiltrations were reported in the protests and the perpetrators would be booked after the investigations, Minister Gurung mentioned.   

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology was given the responsibility for the facilitation to resume the social networking platforms.