DHANGADHI, APRIL 01
Forest fire blazing in over a dozen community forest areas of Doti district for a week is yet to be contained.
The fires have been consuming one forest after another, with risks spreading to human settlements. Areas of the Mahabharat range and Chure range, where mostly Saal trees grow, have been adversely affected by the wildfires.
According to Chief of Division Forest Office (DFO), Doti, Shambhu Tiwari, forest fires are pervasive; as such, on Wednesday, there was a sudden fire in a community forest located at Kulpote, Silgadhi Municipality-4 of Dipayal district. Locals, forest officers, Nepal Army, Nepal Police, with the help of fire-fighters from Silgadhi, Diapayal controlled the fire afterwards.
However, there are more fires to be tackled. Fires in Jorayal, Badikedar, Bogatan Fudsil, Sayal, Aadarsha, and Shikhar Municipality are consuming forests spread over hundreds of hectares of land.
According to a resident of Jorayal-1, the efforts of local consumers alone will not be able to contain the situation.
Chief Tiwari shared that the land has gone dry due to lack of rainfall; the fire has not only destroyed new saplings but also consumed valuable medicinal herbs.
Doti district is home to over 350 community forests.
