Forest areas around the Arun and Tamor river corridors in Dhankuta are at high risk of fire.
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Stakeholders have said that fires cause losses worth around Rs 150 million annually in Dhankuta. They say that effective work has not been done in forest fire control and mitigation due to limited resources and weak management capacity.
This fact was made public at a discussion program organized on Sunday on the occasion of the Forest Fire Control and Flammable Material Management Week launched by the Division Forest Office, Dhankuta with the slogan 'Effectiveness in Forest Fire Control: Participation of all three levels of government and community'.
The program was attended by officials of the Community Forest Users Federation, District Disaster Management Committee, security agencies, representatives of local levels and stakeholders.
There are currently 387 community forests in Dhankuta. Of these, the areas around the Arun and Tamor river corridors are at high risk of fire.
According to Neel Bahadur Thapa, President of the Community Forest Users Federation, Dhankuta, about 100 community forest user groups in the district are at risk of fire every year. He said that the fire is causing great damage to wood, plants, water resources, wildlife and the overall environment.
Divisional Forest Officer Sanjeev Raj Dhakal said that it is difficult to control forest fires and reduce the damage caused by them due to limited resources and manpower. 'Despite awareness and training being conducted, the necessary equipment, manpower and coordination for control are not sufficient,' he said.
According to Dhakal, international treaties and agreements have also created some limitations in the use of forest resources due to the state's policy on carbon trading.
Although the Division Forest Office and the Community Forest Users Federation have been conducting various orientations and training to reduce forest fires, it has been accepted that the expected results have not been achieved. The Division Forest Office, Dhankuta, has stated that fire control efforts will be made more effective by identifying risk areas, conducting public awareness programs and coordinating with the local community during the week.
