Fire rages on Bagarchhap VDC of Manang

Lamjung, Dec. 23 All the efforts to control the raging forest fire at Bagarchhap VDC of Manang have failed. The district police office stated that they were unable to control the fire that spread ten days ago despite using all possible measures. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Nabin Raj Rai, said that the steep terrain where the fire broke out and continued drought in the district had posed difficulties to control the fire. The police informed that they were unable to work to douse the fire as the falling rocks tumbling soil and burnt trees from the steep slope where the forest is situated. A team of police from Kote police post returned after unsuccessful attempts to control the fire. The efforts of police and locals to contain the fire had failed since then. BP Lama, a local from Chame, said that the raging fire could have engulfed hundred of hectares of the forest and that they could not do anything but wait for the next snowfall. The fire did not pose any risk to human settlement nearby but it is believed to have possibly killed wild animals at the forest. Rai said that a team of police, army, locals and representatives of ACAP will again make an attempt to contain the fire as there was potential risk of fire spreading downwards to the human settlement. Meanwhile, in Kanchanpur, the Highway Immediate Response Vehicle (HIRV) run by the Armed Police Force (APF) to control criminal activities in the district has been effective. SP of Shaileswori Battalion, Garjamani, Pipaladi of Kanchanpur, Bhim Bahadur Thapa said the service started to provide services for the victims immediately while controlling organized crime, theft, dacoity and in accidents has been effective. An ambulance and a vehicle remains standby with 30 personnel under the command of the Armed Police sub inspector. More than two dozen stolen motorcycles and people of criminal gangs along with weapons were taken under control under the service that began in August and has submitted to the concerned bodies, said Thapa. Likewise, Night Crime Control Team (NCCT) has also been mobilized recently for controlling criminal activities in night time, which has 13 personnel and led by police inspector from 6:00 pm in the evening to 12:00 at night. It can put up check point at any place of the highway and has reduced armed and criminal looting and dacoity. Long patrol of the Force has controlled crimes in rural areas and timber smuggling. Such patrol recently confiscated 90 cu.ft of timber being smuggled, three pairs of he-buffalos and four carts and submitted to the Forest Office from the community forest of Jai area of Dekhatbhuli.