PARBAT: The district of Parbat in Gandaki Province has been grappling with rampant forest fires since the final week of March, resulting in significant devastation to its natural resources.

To date, these wildfires have ravaged approximately 1,400 hectares of forest area across the region.

Ram Bahadur BK, Assistant Forest Officer at the Division Forest Office, confirmed that the infernos have engulfed a total area of 1416.6 hectares.

The initial reports of forest fires emerged from the Deurali community forest in Jaljala Rural Municipality-1 and the Simlatechaur community forest in Jaljala-5. As of Wednesday, a staggering 70 community and national forests have fallen victim to the relentless blaze.

This year’s surge in wildfire incidents surpasses the figures recorded in the previous year, indicating a concerning escalation in environmental hazards.

Despite the Forest Act of 2049 BS (1993) and the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act of 2029 BS (1973) categorizing forest fire as a criminal offense and prescribing penalties, including imprisonment and fines, the enforcement of these legal provisions remains lax in the district.

Parbat district boasts a substantial forest cover, accounting for 27,640 hectares, which translates to 51 percent of its total land area of 54,210 hectares.

The widespread destruction caused by these forest fires underscores the urgent need for enhanced measures to prevent and combat such calamities, safeguarding the invaluable ecosystems and biodiversity of the region.

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