If you’ve traveled from the Terai plains into Nepal’s mid-hills, you’ve crossed the Chure — a low but critical range of hills that acts as the southern frontier of the Himalayan system. In English, these hills are usually called the Siwaliks; in Nepali, they’re known as the Chure (चुरे) or Churia.
The Chure is the youngest and most fragile part of the Himalaya. It’s also the most threatened. Understanding it matters because what happens in the Chure directly affects the fertile Terai plains — Nepal’s breadbasket.
Where Are the Chure Hills?
The Chure runs east to west across southern Nepal, just north of the Terai. It stretches roughly from the Mechi River in the east to the Mahakali River in the west, covering:
- Jhapa and Ilam (east)
- Morang, Sunsari, Udayapur
- Sindhuli, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Nawalpur
- Palpa, Gulmi, Arghakhanchi
- Dang, Banke, Bardiya
- Surkhet, Kailali, Kanchanpur
The Chure occupies roughly 12.8% of Nepal’s total land area — around 19,000 km².
Elevation and Structure
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 200–1,500 meters |
| Width | 10–50 kilometers |
| Length | ~1,000 kilometers |
| Age | Youngest Himalayan range |
| Rock type | Unconsolidated sandstones, mudstones, conglomerates |
Unlike the higher Himalaya — made of hard metamorphic rock — the Chure is made of loosely packed sediment. This is why it erodes so easily.
Why the Chure Is So Fragile
Three factors make the Chure uniquely vulnerable:
1. Young, soft rock
The Chure’s rocks are geologically young (Miocene-Pleistocene era) and poorly consolidated. They crumble under pressure, dissolve in heavy rain, and cannot hold steep slopes.
2. Steep slopes
The Chure rises sharply from the Terai — often 1,000+ meters of elevation gain over just a few kilometers. This steep gradient means water runs off fast and the land is prone to slides.
3. Heavy monsoon rain
The Chure is the first hill range hit by the monsoon as it moves north. Rainfall of 2,000+ mm per year concentrates on slopes that cannot absorb it.
The result: landslides, gully erosion, and flash flooding — the most visible environmental problems in the region.
Why the Chure Matters
1. It protects the Terai
The Chure is the water catchment for the Terai. Its streams and springs feed the rivers and aquifers that irrigate Nepal’s rice, wheat, and sugarcane fields.
2. It moderates the climate
The Chure intercepts monsoon moisture before it reaches the Terai, reducing flooding downstream.
3. It supports biodiversity
The Chure’s forests shelter tigers, elephants, leopards, and hundreds of bird species. It forms part of the Terai Arc Landscape — a vital wildlife corridor connecting Nepal and India.
4. It holds back sediment
Rivers flowing through the Chure carry sediment to the Terai. When the Chure is healthy, this sediment builds fertile floodplains. When it’s degraded, sediment clogs rivers and causes flooding.
Threats to the Chure
In recent decades, the Chure has faced severe pressures:
- Illegal logging — Deforestation for timber and fuelwood
- Sand and gravel mining — Unregulated extraction from riverbeds
- Land encroachment — Settlements and farming on fragile slopes
- Infrastructure projects — Roads and highways cut into unstable hillsides
- Climate change — More intense monsoons accelerate erosion
The consequences have been severe. Landslides during monsoon are now common. Rivers like the Babai and West Rapti carry enormous sediment loads. Downstream flooding in the Terai has worsened.
The Chure Conservation Program
In response, the Government of Nepal launched the President’s Chure Conservation Program (PCCP) in 2010 — later renamed the Chure-Terai Madhesh Landscape (CTML) Program. Its goals:
- Reforestation — Plant trees on degraded slopes
- Riverbank stabilization — Use bioengineering (vetiver grass, bamboo) to hold soil
- Community forestry — Hand management to local user groups
- Alternative energy — Promote biogas and electric cooking to reduce firewood demand
- Anti-encroachment — Remove illegal settlements from fragile areas
- Landslide monitoring — Early warning systems for vulnerable communities
Results have been mixed. Some districts have seen measurable improvement; others continue to degrade.
How to See the Chure
The Chure is not a major tourist destination like the high Himalaya or the Terai parks — but it rewards curious travelers.
- Chitwan buffer zone — The northern hills of Chitwan are part of the Chure
- Daman (Makwanpur) — Viewpoint overlooking the Chure
- Hetauda — Gateway city in a Chure valley
- Butwal area — Hills rise sharply from the Terai
For ecology-minded visitors, the Chure is a case study in how fragile ecosystems interact with human pressure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the Chure Hills? The Chure (or Siwalik) Hills are the southernmost and youngest range of the Himalayan system, running east-west across southern Nepal just north of the Terai.
Q: Why are the Chure Hills important? They catch monsoon rainfall, feed Terai rivers and aquifers, support biodiversity, and help prevent flooding downstream.
Q: Why are the Chure Hills fragile? The rock is young and unconsolidated, slopes are steep, and monsoon rains are heavy — making the range prone to landslides and erosion.
Q: What is being done to protect the Chure? The Government of Nepal runs the Chure-Terai Madhesh Landscape (CTML) Program — focusing on reforestation, bioengineering, community forestry, and anti-encroachment.
Q: Which districts are in the Chure region? Around 36 districts touch the Chure, including Jhapa, Udayapur, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Palpa, Dang, Surkhet, and Kailali.