Bhimduttanagar, April 25
Wildfires have been raging on in more than 50 community forests and national forests in Kanchanpur for more than a week, putting more than 10,000 hectares of forestland in peril, Kanchanpur district forest office informed. Shuklafanta wildlife reserve is among the forests that are at risk, the office said, adding that 10,200 hectares of forestland has caught fire.
We have deployed fire units in 12 places to control the blazes, Bishweshwor Prasad Joshi, assistant forest officer, said adding that the units have so far been unable to put out the flames.
We have not received firefighting equipment from responsible authorities, Joshi said, adding: We have been fighting fire with old tools given to us in the past. Forest users and community forests’ office-bearers have also been trying to put out the blazes.
Bed Kumar Dhakal, chief conservation officer at the wildlife reserve, said wildfires have been raging on in several places within the reserve.
We have been trying to control the blazes, he said. Personnel from the Nepali Army’s Bhawanibux Battalion have also been trying to extinguish the fires. The wildlife reserve covers an area of 395 square kilometres. The office’s records show Kanchanpur has around 88,000 hectares of forestland.
