A group of 24 people from Saptari district is currently in Kathmandu calling for conservation of the Chure range.
Carrying buckets in their hands, they walked all the way from Bhardaha of Saptari and arrived in the capital via Chitwan after 25 days on Wednesday.
Chure Campaign Coordinator Sunil Yadav said that they walked to Kathmandu for Chure conservation as there is increasing shortage of drinking water due to encroachment and exploitation of Chure.
The group, led by campaigner Deepak Yadav, is holding demonstrations at the Maitighar Mandala.
Another campaigner Indrajit Safi said that they were left with no option but to walk all the way to Kathmandu as the local and provincial governments turned a deaf ear even after being told about the drying up of water sources in surrounding districts as a result of Chure encroachment and deforestation.
Locals have been facing water shortage for the past two years due to Chure deforestation and all the sources have dried up, Safi added.
The group said that the government cleared forests without studying the impact it would have on surrounding settlements.
Safi said that locals of Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Mahottari, and Morang districts are facing a shortage of drinking water these days because of deforestation.
