Locals often set fires in the forest after winter to make the grass grow faster, burning trees and plants and leaving the hillsides bare.
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A fire broke out in the Goganpani forest of Chautha Muni in the Palt Mahadev Community Forest located in Khadachakra-3 at 9 am on Magh 25. Hearing the news of a fire in the Salleri forest near the district headquarters, Manma Bazaar, the chairman of the Community Forest Users Committee, Ravilal Pandey, called the Division Forest Office, Manma and called employees with firefighting tools. The forest workers and a group of users managed to put out the fire in 2 hours.
Local Chakra Bahadur Shahi said that the locals have been setting fire to the Salleri forest, which was planted in 045 under the leadership of the District Forest Office, every year to destroy weeds. The fire that started in the forest of the Nainelmadu Community Forest in Manma on Wednesday evening was controlled by the locals only on Thursday morning. Local Bimal Bista said that the fire destroyed 500 trees planted two years ago, including salo, dhupi, timur, koiralo.
After winter, when the forest is set on fire, trees and plants are burned, causing the forest to become barren. The fire, which started at 5 am in the Saldanda Community Forest in Khadachakra-4 on November 21, was brought under control at 2 pm thanks to the activities of locals. The fire destroyed 5,000 trees planted three years ago, according to Ward Chairman of Khadachakra-4 Prabhananda Acharya. According to him, the arsonist was released after being fined some money in the village.
On December 13, a fire broke out in the Mahabaipatal Community Forest of Tilagufa Municipality-4, Rachuli, as well as in the community forests of Khadachakra, Shubhakalika, Narharinath, Tilagufa, Palata and other local levels. District Police Chief Him Bahadur Khatri said that the locals set fire to all those forests. ‘It is a strange custom to set fire to the grass so that it grows faster,’ he said, ‘There is no concern in the community about the damage to forests, flora and wildlife.’ He informed that 500 apple and walnut plants were destroyed in a fire in an apple orchard in Tilagufa-9 Bhattadi last month.
55 sheep belonging to local Krishnalal Rokaya died when a fire broke out in a sheep shed in Palata-4 Rejuleki while cooking on the night of Maghe Sankranti. He was also injured while extinguishing the fire. Similarly, on Magh 13, his 85-year-old mother Kala was injured in a fire in the shed of Purilal Pandey in Khadachakra 3 Dahawan. Although she was taken to the District Hospital Manma, Surkhet and Kathmandu for treatment, she could not be saved, said her grandson Khagendra Pandey. He died on Falgun 2.
On Chaitra 2 last year, 50-year-old Nandaram Chaulagain and his 12-year-old daughter Hemanti, who had gone to graze goats, were injured in a fire in the Khar Pakho of Navadurga Community Forest in Dhadgaun, Khadachakra-5, Daha Ghodena. Nandaram had gone to the forest to graze 51 goats at 9 am, while his daughter Hemanti had gone to deliver lunch to her father in the afternoon. The father and daughter, who were injured in the fire, died during treatment in Surkhet. 45 of their goats died and 6 were injured in the fire. At that time, the police suspected that someone had thrown a cigarette butt on the ground, which was only a forest, and the fire had started. The police have filed a case against one person on suspicion of starting the fire, but the court has acquitted them.
Police Inspector Ganesh Gyawali said that there is a tendency to set fire to the forest in Kalikot in the hope of getting grass to grow faster. ‘It is a custom to set fire to the forest in the hope that the grass will grow faster,’ he said, ‘This is an unforgivable crime. Fire incidents are more frequent during the dry season from Chaitra to Jestha.’
Two years ago, Lalu Adan Singh Bista of Lalu and Jaipal Kami of Khada Chakra 2, who had gone to cut wood, died after being burnt to death in a fire in the Salghari Community Forest located in Narharinath-8 on the border of Kalikot and Achham.
According to the District Police Office, Kalikot, 7 people have died in the district due to fire in the last three years. 9 people have been injured during this period. There have been 15 fire incidents in the district since last Bhadra. Police data shows that 59 livestock have died in forest fires this year alone. Civil society leader Dilip Kumar Shahi said that forest fire incidents are increasing due to lack of legal action against those who set fires in the forest. He said that wild animals are also in danger due to the risk of forest fires in Chait/Baisakh.
Informing that the police are conducting awareness campaigns as fire incidents are increasing in the district, DSP Khakri said that 56 fire-related awareness campaigns have been conducted since Mangsiri alone. He said that a circular has been issued to all subordinate police units to conduct awareness campaigns.
The Division Forest Office has informed that the office bearers and members of the Community Forest Users Committee have been asked to be alert and join hands in protecting the forest as the risk of fire is high on the slopes of Kalikot.
