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About 100 hectares of forest has been destroyed due to fire in Myagdi this year.

The Division Forest Office, Myagdi said 99 hectares of 28 community forests in the district have been destroyed by the fire.

Forest Officer at the Office, Binay Bahadur Adhikari said that the fire has been raging in nine community forests in Dhawalagiri Rural Municipality, the largest number of forest fire incidents in the district.

According to him, four community forests of Malika Rural Municipality, two of Mangala Rural Municipality, four of Raghuganga Rural Municipality, six of Annapurna Rural Municipality and three of Beni Municipality have caught fire. 

"Compared to the previous years, there has been less number of forest fire incidents this year. The rain on Friday and Saturday has helped in extinguishing the forest fires," Adhikari said.

According to him, forest fires are caused due to the carelessness of pastoralists who light fires in the forest in the belief that more grass will grow if the existing dry grass is burnt. He said another cause of forest fire is the fire lit by poachers to chase away wild animals.

Forest covers 229,706 hectares of land in the district.

Sixty-five bridges have been constructed in Karnali Province in the last 21 months.

According to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, 23 RCC bridges and 42 suspension bridges have been constructed during this period. Six suspension bridges have been constructed from July to December of the current fiscal year.

Spokesperson at the Ministry, Ramesh Subedi, said that motorable bridges have been constructed on five roads. Four suspension bridges have been constructed in Humla and two in Kalikot. Similarly, one motorable bridge each has been constructed in Surkhet, Jajarkot, Kalikot, Mugu and Salyan.

Spokesperson Subedi said that 21.45 kilometers of roads have been blacktopped in the last nine months of the current fiscal year itself while 95 kilometers were blacktopped during the last 21 months.

He said that 205 kilometers of roads have been graveled and track opened on 525 kilometers of fair-weather roads during this period. 

Approval has been given for the construction of eight new motorable bridges for the fiscal year 2081/82 BS.

Similarly, consent has been given for the construction of a Bailey bridge. A multi-year contract has been initiated by ensuring resources for the construction of 41 new suspension bridges.

Source has been ensured for construction of one road, two bridges and two suspension bridges in Rukum-West.

Likewise, the construction of three Bailey bridges in Jajarkot has been started with the assurance of resources and the Nalgad Hydroelectricity Project has also started the construction of the bridge at Khara between Barekot and Nalgad Municipalities.

The financial resources for 11 projects have been ensured in Surkhet. Among the 11 projects are construction of four suspension bridges, four roads, two roads and bridges and one other structure.

Budget has been ensured for construction of two motorable bridges and eight suspension bridges in Dailekh.

Source has been ensured for only six projects in Mugu. The Ministry Spokesperson Subedi said the budget has been ensured for three projects in Humla, eight projects in Dolpa, four projects in Jajarkot, three projects in Kalikot, eight in Dailekh, seven in Salyan and four projects in Jumla.

According to Spokesperson Subedi, the sources have been ensured for a total 61 projects in Karnali Province in the current fiscal year.

In the past couple of years, Kathmandu has been steadily climbing the charts of the world’s most polluted places. Recently, it topped the list with an AQI of over 280, beating India’s New Delhi which has frequently been the most polluted city in the world. Blame the forest fires, vehicle emissions, or scattered to little rainfall, the fact remains that our air quality is declining and our health is suffering. The effects of air pollution can be immediate, from runny nose, itchy eyes, sore throat etc., to long-term problems like chronic respiratory illnesses or heart diseases. Though tackling air pollution needs policy level intervention, it doesn’t mean we can’t take some important steps to reduce its impact on a personal level. Here are some ways you can improve air quality at home.

Bring in the greens

Add plants to your space as these look good and work to trap pollutants and dust as well. Keep a couple of large foliage by the door and windows. Snake plants and Peace Lily are great indoor air purifiers. Aloe Vera also works really well to neutralize odor. You might not have much space to have a full-fledged indoor garden but some big pots and planters will do the job just as well. You can also hang pothos and ivy from little jars kept on shelves.

Keep it clean

Vacuuming the carpets and rugs at least once a week can help tackle dust that has settled in the house. You can also opt for hard-surface flooring like tiles and laminates instead of wall-to-wall carpeting to cut down on allergens. It’s also a good idea to regularly clean the drapes and bedding which are items that attract dust and allergens. Indoor hygiene can cut down dust and dander and reduce pollutants. And while you are at it, it would be a good idea to clear clutter as that also traps dust.

Ventilate your space

Most of us keep the windows closed to keep dust away but that’s a bad idea as stale air circulates in closed spaces and that can potentially lead to mold and dampness. Open the windows from time to time to allow fresh air to circulate. Use an exhaust fan in the kitchen while cooking to remove fumes and other vapors that could contaminate the air. If you are concerned about direct breeze, opt for light sheer curtains to have a layer of filtering on the windows.

Invest in an air purifier

Bringing an air purifier into your home is perhaps the most effective way to combat indoor air pollution. These come equipped with HEPA filters that remove as much as 99 percent of harmful particles from the air. There are many kinds available in the market these days, from small ones you can use in the car or a bedroom to larger ones that can purify the air in an entire flat. HEPA filters can even remove flu virus particles from the air making it a great investment for your overall health.

At least 745 people have died from disaster-related incidents across the country in the last one year. 

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, a total of 8,861 disaster related incidents occurred and 745 people were killed in such incidents in one year. 

Similarly, 69 people went missing and 1,702 sustained injuries in such incidents, said Authority Spokesperson, Ram Bahadur KC.

Disaster related incidents affected 18,991 households and property worth Rs 3.13 billion was damaged during the period. 

According to the Authority, the highest number of people (351) lost their lives from landslides, 97 from flood, 78 from lightning and 77 from fire incidents.  

Similarly, eight people died from incidents induced by heavy rainfall, 43 from wildlife attack, 24 from altitude sickness, 23 from air crash, 19 from snakebite, 10 from forest fire, seven from storm, one from boat collapse and seven others from other reasons.

Likewise, 48 people went missing in landslides, 18 in floods and three in avalanches. 

While studying the number of disaster related incidents, the highest number of fire incidents took place this year. As per the record of the incidents from April 12, 2024 to April 11, 2025, 4,145 fire incidents occurred followed by forest fire (1,195) and 1,005 landslide incidents. 

Similarly, 418 incidents cause by flood, 568 incidents by heavy rainfall, 418 incidents by lightning, 477 incidents of wildlife attack, 111 incidents of altitude sickness, two aircraft crashes, 84 incidents of snakebite, 349 incidents of storm, one of boat collapse, six incidents of snow avalanche, 74 incidents of earthquake, one of hailstone and seven others disaster related incidents were occurred during the period, added Authority.