MYAGDI: The relentless forest fires ravaging various localities in Myagdi district over the past month and a half have severely impacted water supplies, leaving more than 30 villages grappling with drinking water scarcity.

The infernos have obliterated water supply pipelines, exacerbating the crisis for local residents.

Affected areas include Malika Rural Municipality, Mangala Rural Municipality, Annapurna Rural Municipality, and Beni Municipality, where villagers are bearing the brunt of the massive wildfires.

The Division Forest Office in Myagdi reported that nearly 1,000 hectares of forests across 112 locations in the district had been engulfed by fires as of April 24.

The situation is dire in Upper Darbang village of Malika-6, where a community forest blaze has severed water supply, leaving crops to wither due to prolonged drought and fires.

Residents lamented the destruction of pipelines connecting water sources to villages in Malika, Mangala, Beni, and Annapurna.

Jhalak Mohan Ojha, Chief of the Drinking Water, Water Resource, and Irrigation Division Office in Myagdi, highlighted the severe damage inflicted on drinking water and irrigation pipelines district-wide by the wildfires.

In Beni Municipality’s Jyamrukkot area, a kilometer-long pipeline was destroyed by fire, exacerbating drinking water and irrigation shortages for locals.

Dil Bahadur Ghimire, a resident, expressed the hardship faced by communities in accessing water post-pipeline disruption, necessitating hours spent fetching water.

Myagdi district has recurrently suffered from extensive forest fires, plaguing the region almost annually.

In response to the crisis, Chief District Officer Laxman Dhakal revealed that the District Disaster Management Committee recently convened to demand budget allocation for the reconstruction of drinking water and irrigation projects in affected areas.