Bajura, March 26

Incidents of wildfire have increased in various community forests due to the prolonged drought in Bajura.

According to District Forest Office, Bajura, more than a dozen forest areas were destroyed in wildfires within a week. As many as five community forests were destroyed by the wildfire in Badimalika Municipality of the district alone.

Locals said that Bheralmandu, Badimalika, Sallena, Jalpa and Dhalpuri community forests were destroyed in the fire. Similarly, the wildfire had also spread to community forests in Gotri, Wai, Rugin, Sappta, Aantichaur, Dahakot and Manakot, among other VDCs.

Dambar Mahat of Gotri VDC said the locals faced difficulties grazing their cattle after the wildfires destroyed the grazing fields. It is said the wildfire, which had spread in Madimalika Municipality, has yet to be taken under control. The wildfire had spread from Bheralmandu Community Forest of the municipality on March 10. “It has yet to be known how the wildfire spread,” said Chairman Harka Mahat of Bheralmandu Community Forest.

Locals heavily rely on community forests for income. Sources at community forest said they sold resin worth seven lakh rupees produced in the forests annually.

Forest staffers said security personnel, locals and forest staffers are trying their best to take the fire under control.

Inspector Dan Bahadur Rokaya at District Police Office, Bajura said strong gusts of wind had made it difficult for them to contain the fire.

Meanwhile, forest officer Bisendra Raj Subedi of the district forest said that the wildfire incidents have increased with the beginning of summer season.

Gaighat, March 26

Forest areas spread in 30,000 hectares of land were destroyed after a wildfire spread to various national and community forests in Udayapur.

Assistant District Forest Officer Lal Babau Yadav said locals, forest staffers and security personnel, among others, were trying their best to bring the fire under control. “We have yet to bring the fires at Saune and Khanbu under control,” he said.

Sources at the forest office said 30,000 hectares of forest area has been destroyed by the wildfire that had spread from Phuljore Forest Area of Hadiya VDC.

It is said that district forest office had deployed as many as 12 fire control teams to take the fire under control.

Adarsha and Srijana community forests of Hadiya; Saptakoshi and Amarjyoti community forests of Rampur; Tapeshwori and Mayalu community forests of Tawashree, among others, were destroyed in the fires. Yadav said that as many as two dozen community forests in Gaighat and its surroundings areas had caught fire.