Forest staff push roadside tempo off cliff in Nepal, sparking outrage

A video capturing forest office employees in Kailali, Nepal, shoving a roadside tempo off a cliff has ignited public anger and criticism from lawmakers. The incident, which occurred on Saturday in Godawari Municipality, shows staff from the Division Forest Office, Dhangadhi, removing the vehicle before pushing it down a slope.

Dhanadevi Dhami, 44, a resident of ward 4, identified the tempo as hers. She explained that she relied on the vehicle for her small roadside business, selling tea, eggs, noodles, and water, earning approximately Rs4,000 to Rs5,000 daily. Dhami stated she pleaded with the officials to allow her to take the vehicle home, promising not to sell there again, but they refused and pushed it off the cliff. Locals filmed the event, but no one intervened.

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They first removed all the goods. Even when I requested them to let me take it home and said I would not sell there again, they did not listen and pushed it off the cliff.

The forest office, however, defended its actions, labeling it part of an ongoing anti-encroachment campaign. Krishna Bohara, chief of the Sub-Division Forest Office, Attariya, claimed the vehicle had been removed a month prior and was not functional. He described it as a scrap tempo used as a makeshift structure for a shop. Officials reported that 47 structures have been removed as part of the drive.

The incident has sparked a debate about the authorities' methods. Critics argue that officials should have seized the vehicle and pursued legal action rather than destroying it in such a manner. The public's outrage highlights concerns over the treatment of small business owners and the methods employed in enforcement campaigns.

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It was not a functional transport vehicle. She was using a scrap tempo as a makeshift structure to run a shop.