Mustang locals collect firewood to survive winter

Local residents in Mustang have long relied on collecting firewood during the winter, a practice that has been followed for centuries. Mustang, divided into upper and lower regions, is home to 16 Conservation Area Management Committees (CMCs) operating under the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP). Among these, 10 CMCs, covering areas from Waragung Muktikshetra to the lower Mustang, organize annual firewood collection during winter. The committees, in coordination with ACAP Jomsom, implement time-specific schedules for collecting firewood from designated forests. This activity takes place across three local levels of Mustang, ensuring firewood needs are met during the harsh winter months.

After harvesting summer crops and sowing winter crops, farmers in Mustang find some respite from agricultural duties, although activities like apple orchard management continue. Firewood is essential for cooking, heating homes, and preparing livestock feed during winter. To meet these needs, the local conservation management committees, in partnership with village communities, arrange joint firewood collection efforts, often in the lakeside forests of Mustang.

Chandra Bahadur Thakali, chairman of the conservation management committee in Ghar Pajhong-4, Jomsom, explained that since December, registered households in Jomsom have been permitted to collect firewood. Residents brave the freezing temperatures, setting out early in the morning to gather firewood, prioritizing dry wood. However, if only raw firewood is available, it is also permitted for use. Pramod Raj Regmi, head of the ACAP Jomsom office, emphasized that the local conservation committees have the authority to manage and use natural resources responsibly, including firewood, except during restricted months like June and August.

Villagers often rely on oxen, donkeys, horses, and mules to transport firewood back home. Those without animals carry the firewood themselves. Strict regulations ensure that raw firewood is not cut, and violations result in penalties enforced by the conservation committees. Regular monitoring by the committees and local representatives ensures compliance with the standards.

Residents from villages like Jomsom, Thini, Dhumba, Syang, Marpha, Chhairo, and Chiwang travel to forests near the Nilgiri and Dhaulagiri foothills for firewood collection. Similarly, in Thasang Rural Municipality, locals gather firewood from forests under their jurisdiction. According to Sojan Hirachan, a resident of Thasang-2 Saura, the conservation management committee and village headmen determine specific periods for firewood collection.

Farmers like Lekh Bahadur Gurung of Jomsom maintain huts near the forests, enabling them to collect multiple loads of firewood daily. Gurung begins his day at 4 am, heading to the forests near Nilgiri Lake to gather enough firewood to last the year. “It’s cold, but I enjoy collecting firewood in the forest more than in the village,” he said. Similarly, farmer Manoj Gotame, who has temporarily set aside his agricultural duties, also collects firewood with the help of his huts. “The forest has been opened for 10 days by the Conservation Management Committee and village representatives,” Gotame noted. “Firewood is essential for families and livestock, and this collection will suffice for a year.”

Storing firewood on rooftops is a longstanding tradition in Mustang, symbolizing prosperity and preserving local art and culture. Villagers believe that having a large stockpile of firewood in front of the house is a sign of affluence. While the development of road networks in Mustang has reduced the dependence on firewood, it remains an integral part of daily life and cultural heritage in the region.