Nepal’s first President, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, has stated that due to lack of conservation, thousands of areas in Nepal with potential similar to Switzerland have been neglected.

Speaking at a program organized by the Tarapati Bhattarai Memorial Foundation in Kathmandu on Saturday, he said that Nepal is a beautiful country with many hidden places comparable to Switzerland.

“This Nepal is a beautiful country. There are many Switzerlands in our nation. But there is no conservation,” he said. “The Char Kose Jhadi (forest belt) disappeared within my lifetime. During the Panchayat era, people made money by selling forests. Now, the Chure hills are being exploited overnight.”

Highlighting the current water crisis in the Terai region, he emphasized the importance of conserving the Chure hills, which he described as the main water reservoir.

“There is a drinking water crisis in eight districts of the Terai. It doesn’t rain in the eastern Terai. There are no forests. The Chure hills have been excavated and taken away,” he said. “If the Chure is destroyed, where will we plant? The Chure is the real water reservoir. We must uphold moral values and think about how to build this society and this country.”