The Sarlahi District of Nepal

Sarlahi District is in the southeast of Nepal, near the Indian border, with a population of almost 800,000. The border to Bihar State in India is open and migration and trade are common, with the Bishweshwar Prasad (BP) Koirala Highway linking India and eastern Nepal (the Terai region) to Kathmandu. The population comprises mainly farmers (including sugar cane farmers), with most communities owning cows and buffaloes.

I visited the towns and villages of Lalbandi, Haripur, Bardibas, and Basantpur. Lalbandi and Haripur are noted for their tomato farming. The area is flat along the Gangetic Plain with springs and marshes, and prone to flooding. However, the area was currently dry with barely any water in the rivers.

The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve is in the Terai region, known for its wetlands, reptiles, and bird life. It is also known for its elephants and water buffaloes. People living adjacent to the reserve were in clashes with the park last month due to frequent elephants entering their settlements. An elephant trampled and killed an elderly woman in Haripur in January, which led to demonstrations against reserve officials. They were seeking compensation for damage to their settlements and the control of elephant attacks. The Himalayan Times (30 January 2013) reported that in the previous three months as many as 110 houses in Haripur and 40 in Shreepur were damaged by elephants. The reserve was originally established in 1976 to protect buffaloes, and expanded their objectives to include the protection of all flora and fauna within the region.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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