March 12: The conflict of interest between the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) and the local governments within the jurisdiction of ACAP over the utilization of natural resources and other issues have resulted in a situation in which the people’s representatives have demanded the termination of the project.

ACAP is an integrated and community-based conservation and development approach undertaken by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) which spreads across 15 municipalities in five districts including Kaski, Manang, Mustang, Lamjung and Myagdi.     

The representatives of the local units complain that the conservation efforts of the ACAP has hindered development works.

“The policies of ACAP has been hindering development works,” Chairperson of Thasang Rural Municipality, Pradeep Gauchan, told the state-owned RSS.

According to Gauchan, the construction of a 15-bed hospital in the rural municipality has been obstructed due to the ACAP policies, which do not allow chopping down of trees.    

All of the local units within the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) have demanded that they be allowed to use the ACAP area.    

A total of 15 municipal chiefs and deputy chiefs of the local units, which fall under the ACAP, put forth a six-point demand towards this end at a coordination meeting held in Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality of Kaski on Saturday, RSS reported.    

Chairperson of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality Meen Bahadur Gurung said that the term of ACAP should not be extended. Gurung was of the view that the area of ACAP should now be used by the concerned local levels.    

 Likewise, Chair of Kaholasonthar Rural Municipality of Lamjung, Surya Prasad Gurung, said that the main source of income for the local government is natural resources, so it is a problem when ACAP keeps the income from natural resources.    

Vice-chair of Machhapuchhre Rural Municipality, Sita Adhikari, said that all the 15 municipal chiefs and deputy chiefs had to meet to form a common opinion because of many problems resulting from the ACAP.    

The meeting has decided to submit a memorandum to the federal and provincial governments to resolve the problems in revenue collection due to ACAP and its regulations.