The forest area of Mahottari is becoming desolate due to the increasing forest fire. Smoke has been seen in the forest area around the East-West Highway since early morning.
The forest fires in Bardibas and Gaushala municipalities have turned the forest trees and plants into ashes. Although there are more than half a dozen forest-related offices within a distance of 18 km on the east-west highway of the district, the general public says that the fire has not been brought under control.
There are four forest sub-divisional offices and an armed forest protection office within a distance of 18 km from Bardibas to Banke in Mahottari district along the East-West Highway.
According to the locals, the increase in arson has been on the rise since the beginning of the month of Chait. Complaints have been raised that these forest resources are only for consumption and not for security, even though there are partnership forest committees and offices and community forest user committees apart from forest related government offices. Laxmi Prasad Mahato of Gaushala-10 Laxminiya says that the forest is becoming desolate due to the tendency of the forest rangers to understand that they are employed due to lack of work and indifference of the forest related committee and office.
According to the Division Forest Office, Mahottari, the district has forests in the area of 24,465 hectares including national forest, community, partnership, religious and Sagarnath Forest Development Project. The Division Forest Office, which has the main responsibility of security and management of the forest area, said that intensive patrols could not be carried out in all the areas due to lack of adequate security personnel.
According to the District Administration Office, Mahottari, a joint team has been formed in coordination with forest protection and other security agencies in the district to ensure regular patrolling of the forest area. Assistant Chief District Officer Upendra Neupane said that deforestation would not be exempted under any pretext.
"There are armed police posts along with forest related offices in the forest area. The joint patrols of all of them should be increased for forest security," he said.
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