The apex court recently rejected the appeal lodged by the Sunsari District Development Committee and Dharan Municipality at the office of Attorney General to review the SC´s earlier two decisions that upheld private ownership of the land. It has recently come to light that the review appeal was turned down by SC two months ago. [break]
However, locals are of the opinion that the SC decision will have a grave impact on the Sardu watershed area, which is the main source of drinking water for people living in Sunsari district.
The inhabitants of Dharan municipality had started a campaign to save the watershed area from the possible human encroachment by forming a Watershed Protection Committee. But with the Supreme Court denying review, 36 bighas of land in the watershed area will now be in the possession of 15 landowners.
"Our efforts of years have done down the drain," said former Vice Chairman of the Sunsari DDC Banshi Moktan.
According to the locals, the sardu watershed area was announced in 1986 and the private owners of over 348 bighas of land in the area were duly compensated. However, due to technical mistake some of the land had still remained under the private ownership. The locals said land mafia took advantage of the situation and continued transactions of the land.
Meanwhile, landowners have said that they are ready strike an agreement with the municipality and DDC for the sake of public cause.
"We are ready to leave the land in the watershed area. However, we will retain the land situated in the north from the Bedetar road, which is not in the watershed area," said Jagat Rai, one of the landowners.
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