Kathmandu, March 29:

The government is all set to collect data on the loss caused by the wildfire that raged across the country in the recent weeks.

Department of Forest under Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation has formed teams to be sent to the affected regions to collect detailed information on the loss of person, wildlife, their habitat and flora.

According to reports of the department, one person and 18 cattle have so far died in the fires. An estimated 518 hectares of conservation area and 10,000 hectares of the forest were destroyed.

Conservation areas in Langtang, Kanchanjunga, Sagarmatha, Shivapuri, Chitwan and Bardia and forest areas in Bara, Rautahat, Jhapa, Ilam, Gulmi, Udaypur, Chitwan, Sarlahi, Kathmandu, Sankhuwawabha and Siraha were among those affected by the fire.

Dr Annapurna Das, the ministry spokesperson, said two of the six persons held from Kanchanjunga region on the charge of committing arson were fined Rs 48,000, while a youth club in the region was awarded Rs 5,000 for its efforts to tame the inferno. The ministry has also initiated efforts to set up a wildfire control project in coordination with Global Fire

Monitoring Centre.

The government has publicly appealed to all the government bodies, NGOs and stakeholders to assist it in its efforts to control the disaster.