Yam Bahadur Bam
KATHMANDU- With the onset of dry season, around 7000 hectares of forest have been engulfed by bushfire in 22 district. Fires in some of the forests have not come under control.
According to the Forest Department statistics, forest fires have claimed two people in Tanahun and Doti after mid-March this year. Information officer at the department, Santa Maya Shrestha, said the fire affected pine forest, and Sal forest (Shorearobusta), wood, shrubs, and newly budding stems.
Four-thousand hectors of forest in Udayapur, 960 hectares in Sindhuli, 834 hectors in Okhaldhunga have been engulfed by fire, Shrestha said. Around 950 Cubic feet wood in Udayapur district and 17,000 plants in Okhaldhunga district were reduced to ashes by fire.
Government data shows that 415 hectors of forest in Makwanpur district, 334 hectors in Dhading, 253 hectors in Dhankuta, 195 hectors in Taplejung, 180 hectors in Doti, 162 hectors in Rolpa, 90 hectors in Gulmi, 66 hectors in Jhapa, 45 hectors in Syangja, 43 hectors in Rautahat, 37 hectors in Nuwakot and 33 hectors in Ilam have been engulfed by fire.
On Sunday, Bushfire occurred in around 623 places, this year’s highest, while in the month of Chaitra (March-April) around 150 places were hit by bushfire. The department data suggests that the forests of Terai belt are more prone to bushfire during dry season.
Hundreds of thousands of hectors of forests are wiped out every year by bushfire. Last year alone, 350,000 hectors of forests were engulfed in fires.
Shrestha said they have formulated bushfire management plans, and are procuring fire-extinguishing equipments, creating fire-control line, and building ponds in the forests as part of fire controlling measures. The department had allocated Rs 69.2 million to the concerned district forest.
“As there are many dry leaves in the forest during dry season, and a small spark of fire can spread across the entire forest,” said Shrestha, expressing her worry that the misconception about the bushfire good for grassland has remained as a challenge to blaze.
Division Engineer at Department of Environment and Information Officer Shankar Prasad Poudel said the forest fire is one of the reasons for environmental pollution. He noted the level of pollution grows during April in South-East and South Asia as the forest fires occur in the region at the time. He said as a result of forest fire smog hovers over the sky in many nearby settlements. He added that the smoke-mixed air floats up to Kathmandu, causing smog in the valley.
