While the Nepal Army team returned to the headquarters daunted by the enormity of the task, two police personnel were injured while trying to take the fire under control. [break]
The fire had broken out near the construction site of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project and was triggered by sparks from a welding machine used in construction of head race tunnel.
The news came as a pleasant surprise to the local administration that had been mulling new strategy to fight the fire spreading toward the Tibetan border. “The fire was been put off by heavy snowfall throughout the night,” said Chief District Officer (CDO) Ganesh Bhattarai. He said 400 hectares of forest have been destroyed in the fire.
The fire had started from Setidevi jungle Saturday afternoon. DSP Umesh Raj Joshi said the fire had come under control before dawn.
“The only possible way to fight the fire was spraying gas or water from choppers. But we are glad that nature has assisted us,” Major at Barda Bahadur Battalion Ashok Karki said. Main contractor Sino Hydro that has been constructing the Upper Tamakoshi project had sent its chief engineer from Beijing, China to inspect the damages while a team led by the military attaché at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal had also arrived for field inspection.
Meanwhile, the Chinese company has agreed to compensate the irate locals. It has agreed to pay Rs 5,000 per day until there is alternative arrangement for six yak sheds and pasture gutted in the fire. The Chinese have also agreed to pay Rs 30,000 for every yak found dead, according to CDO Bhattarai.
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