Myagdi: About 100 hectares of forest has been damaged in the district due to fire this year. The Division Forest Office, Myagdi said 99 hectares of 28 community forests in the district have been damaged by forest fire.
According to National News Agency Nepal, forest officer at the Office, Binay Bahadur Adhikari, stated that fire has been raging in nine community forests in Dhawalagiri rural municipality, which has experienced the largest number of forest fire incidents in the district. Additionally, four community forests of Malika rural municipality, two of Mangala rural municipality, four of Raghuganga rural municipality, six of Annapurna rural municipality, and three of Beni municipality have also caught fire.
Adhikari noted that compared to previous years, there has been a lower number of forest fire incidents this year. The rain on Friday and Saturday has significantly contributed to extinguishing the forest fires.
He explained that forest fires are often caused by the carelessness of pastoralists who light fires in the forest under the belief that more grass will grow if the existing dry grass is burnt. Another contributing factor to forest fires is the use of fire by poachers to chase away wild animals.
The district’s forest area covers 229,706 hectares of land.