Nepal chokes on smoke and ash as drought-worsened wildfires rage
1/5
Fighting fires
Since November, Nepal has been witnessing the worst wildfire season in a decade. Hundreds of fire have been spreading across the country, with people struggling to contain the situation.
2/5
AQI index
Recently, a wildfire took out more 80 hectares of forest in Sungure. The fires have also led to a rise in air pollution levels as experts warn that the increase in droughts could make these wildfires more frequent.
3/5
Small spark
Sungure has been without significant rainfall for 6 months now, which has led to leaves becoming tinder dry. The burnings of the forests has been detrimental to many villagers as they rely on the land for food and livelihood. While villagers often set fire to trees for charcoal for clearing the area, even a small fire these days could spread out of control.
Amazon Top Deals
POWERED BY
Crompton Ozone 75 Litres Desert Air Cooler for home | Large & Easy Clean Ice Chamber | 4-Way Air Deflection | High Density Honeycomb Pads | Everlast Pump | Auto Fill| 3 Year Brand Warranty
₹9,798Buy Now43%
OFF
LG 32 L Convection Microwave Oven (MC3286BRUM, Black, 360° Motorised Rotisserie for Bar-be-queing, 301 Auto Cook Menu, Stainless steel cavity, Indian Cuisine, Tandoor Se, Steam Clean & Diet Fry)
₹19,340Buy Now19%
OFF
4/5
Side effects
This winter, Nepal saw rainfall 75% less than average and more than 2,700 fires were recorded between November and March. The AQI in Kathmandu was 470 last week, which has led to many complaining of irritation in the eyes and throat pain.
5/5
Out of control
Another reason why it has been difficult to contain the wildfires has been due to the lack of manpower. With many yound people leaving their villages to work in big towns, there are only a handful of people left to fight the fires.