Manang wildfire not brought under control even after 10 days

MANANAG: The fire that broke out in Timang forest of Chame Rural Municipality-1 in Manang district has not been brought under control even after 10 days. The forest fire had started in the evening of January 31.

The District Administration Office said they have not been able to douse the fire due to the difficult topography of the area.

Chief District Officer Matrika Acharya said that all the security agencies in the district have been mobilised to contain the wildfire.

“All the security agencies of the district have been mobilised to control the fire. Locals are also actively engaged in this task. However, we have not been able to bring the fire under control yet,” CDO Acharya said.

He said that the grazing areas of sheep, goats, yaks and cattle in the forest have been destroyed as the fire could not be brought under control on time.

“The fire has started in a difficult location far away from the settlement. There is also the risk of spread of forest fire as the place is also windy,” CDO Acharya said, adding that the inferno has so far destroyed the habitat of the national bird, the lophophorous, and the young rhododendron plants in the forest.

According to him, the security personnel and locals are trying their best to contain the fire wherever possible.

Chief District Officer Acharya shared that they were facing problems containing the wildfire as it is raging in a patch of forest on a cliff which is inaccessible.

He said there was no risk of fire in the settlement, adding necessary measures are being adopted so that the fire does not spread elsewhere.

Chief of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Area Office, Dhak Bahadur Bhujel, said that the fire could not be brought under control due to excessive dryness of the area since there was not much snowfall this winter.