A community of nomads from Merak Gewog and people of Phongmey Gewog are locking horns over a Gewog boundary issue. People are accusing each other for overtaking their boundaries.
Before the 568 acres of area was converted into a community forest, the highlanders from Merak Gewog used it as their Tsamdro on lease. Three villages under Phongmey Gewog had decided to convert the area into a community forest in 2008.
The community forest shares boundary with Merak gewog, where nomads from the gewog used it as their grazing ground for their animals.
The two communities started accusing each other for overtaking their boundaries, soon after the conversion. The issue became worse after the community forest members started imposing fines to the nomads whose animals were found grazing inside their community forest.
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“We respect their decision but what is important is that they have to respect the boundary,” said Phurpa from Merak. He also said in their understanding the people from Phongmey should have consulted with them and should have also obtained a no objection certificate from the people of Merak.
The Chairman of the community forest, Rinchen Dawa said they have not taken over others’ boundary. “We have our own boundaries since our parent’s time and we have made the community forest just below our boundary.”
The two communities, led by the gewog gups, met twice to settle the issue. But after people started accusing each other and the issue could not be resolved.
The disagreement, according to the people, is caused by Land Act 2007, which converted all the Tsamdros and Shokshing into government land.
The nomads are planning to take the issue to the court, if the gewog authorities fail to find a solution.
