Forest fire destroys 700 hectares forest area in Myagdi

KATHMANDU: Myagdi district has suffered the largest scale of damage in forest fire among 11 districts of Gandaki State.

According to the Division Forest Office, around 700 hectares of forest area of the district has been ruined in forest fire spanning 45 days.

Forest fire had spread in 111 forests of all six local level governments in Myagdi from March first week to April last week. The forest fire ravaged 693 hectares of forest area in the district.

The Gandaki State Forest Directorate also said that Myagdi had witnessed the damage of larger section of forest among the 11 districts in the State.

Locals residing around the forest area said they were dreadful with the menacing expansion of forest fire. Tek Bahadur Pun, a local of Malika Rural Municipality-6 said the forest fire had caused fatalities of several wild species.

Division Forest Office Chief Bishnu Adhikari said the incidents of forest fire are taking place every day in the forests of Beni Municipality, Malika, Mangala, Raghuganga, Dhawalagiri and Annapurna Rural Municipalities in the district.

He said forest fire has been taken under control in some forests while some are still seen with bellowing of dense smoke. He further shared that the locals and security personnel were urged to distribute fire extinguishing equipment to contain the forest fire.

The wildlife has also started entering into human settlements to protect them from ravaging forest fire, locals said. The wildlife has sneaked into the human settlements in search of safer habitat and food with the outbreak of fire in the forests of Malika and Mangala Rural Municipalities.

“Monkeys and boars have ruined the crops cultivated in fields. We are being victimized with the wildlife entering into the homes of late”, said Tikanath Kandel, a farmer of Mangala Rural Municipality-5.

The wildlife rampage has also victimized residents of Malika Rural Municipality-6, Upallo Dukhu, ward number 1 (Niskot) and ward 2 (Room).

Meanwhile, according to the news received from Tamghas, the fire that spread from dry wheat stalks has destroyed a two-story house of Saroj Saru of Ruruchhetra Rural Municipality-5, Dhobighat. The fire destroyed grains, clothes and utensils kept inside the house.

Likewise, a fire that engulfed the 10-room house of Bharat Karki of Bhojpur Municipality-8, Pokhare gutted properties worth Rs 4.2 million, informed Police Inspector of the District Police Office, Bishal Limbu.

He said the fire destroyed cash Rs 450,000, 13 tolas gold, 10 tolas silver, two sets LED TV, mobile set and furniture among other house appliances.