Fire lines being built to contain risks of wildfires

By Anil Parajuli,Hetauda, Mar. 15: Efforts are underway to protect various community forests in Makwanpur district by constructing fire lines.

Out of the 210 community forests under the Division Forest Office in Makwanpur, around 100 have started forming green squads and implementing fire control measures.

A 200-metre-long fire line (forest path) has already been constructed in some community forests. Similarly, local community forests have employed green squads and volunteer fire controllers for the next four months to manage fire risks. The Division Forest Office has also provided insurance for the fire controllers.

Forest Officer Deepak Adhikari from the Division Forest Office in Makwanpur said that preparations had begun to prevent and reduce potential wildfires as the summer season approaches. He also said discussions were held with local forest group representatives, local government and stakeholders to coordinate wildfire control efforts.

“Due to prolonged dry conditions, the risk of wildfires is significantly high. We have already started taking precautionary measures to reduce and control such incidents,” Adhikari said.

The Division Forest Office in Makwanpur, through its eight sub-divisions, has distributed materials for collecting dry leaves and drawing fire lines to forest user groups. Some well-funded community forests have also been encouraged to purchase fire control equipment, according to the Division Forest Office.

During the summer, dried leaves, grass and twigs become highly flammable, causing wildfires to spread rapidly. Uncontrolled fires in forests, hillsides, and grasslands not only damage forest areas but also threaten nearby settlements.

Most wildfires are caused by human activities. People intentionally set fires, believing that it helps new grass and shrubs grow better, but such actions often spiral out of control and turn into devastating wildfires. 

These fires destroy soil's organic matter, damage wildlife habitats and contribute to environmental pollution, posing serious risks to human health, experts said.

The Makwanpur Division Forest Office oversees 210 community forests covering an area of 71,754 hectares. In the last fiscal year, around 700 hectares of forest were damaged by wildfires. The division covers the areas including Hetauda, Bhimphedi, Makwanpurgadhi, Bakaiya and Bagmati.