LAMJUNG: Lamjung, a hilly district in Gandaki Province, is dependent on just one fire engine to serve all eight of its municipalities.
Despite the ever-present risk of fire outbreaks, only Besisahar Municipality currently operates a fire engine, leaving the remaining three municipalities and four rural municipalities vulnerable.
The lack of firefighting resources has made it difficult to respond promptly to fire incidents, often resulting in delays that hinder effective control and increase damage to property.
According to the Local Government Operation Act, 2074 BS, each municipality is expected to maintain its own fire engine. However, seven of Lamjung’s municipalities have yet to fulfill this requirement.
Besisahar Mayor Guman Singh Aryal confirmed that municipalities across the district rely on their fire engine during emergencies. “When a major fire breaks out in other municipalities, they request the fire engine from Besisahar.
But this makes it hard to respond immediately to incidents across the district. If each municipality had its own fire engine, we could reduce fire-related losses significantly,” he said.
Locals have echoed this concern. Anil Gurung from Marsyangdi Rural Municipality emphasized that every local level should invest in fire engines and have them ready for emergencies.
Similarly, Amrita Ghimire from Sundarbazar Municipality pointed out that fires have become difficult to control in her area—one of the district’s largest commercial centers—due to the absence of firefighting equipment.
Many residents have criticized local government leaders for prioritizing luxury vehicles over essential emergency infrastructure. Marsyangdi Rural Municipality Chair Arjun Gurung acknowledged the issue, noting that fire incidents are especially frequent during the dry season.
“We often have to call the fire engine from Besisahar, but the problem is that many areas in our municipality are inaccessible by road,” he said.
Even when a fire engine is dispatched, the travel time from Besisahar delays firefighting efforts. “We haven’t purchased a fire engine mainly due to the geographic challenges,” he added.
In smaller fires, local police often step in to douse flames without the help of fire engines. However, in larger fires, even prompt police action cannot prevent major damage because the fire engine arrives too late, police officials say.
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