While a potential disaster has been averted for now, locals in the area are compelled to live in fear of dangerous wildfires raging between forest areas and human settlements during the summer season every year. The possibility of more devastating forest fires with the rise in the mercury pose serious threats to the local populace as it can cause huge loss of lives and properties.

“Right from sunrise to sunset, our gaze is continually fixed towards the forest during the summer season,” said local Sabita Baral, whose house is perched on top of a hill in Dhuseni.

While the locals have been living in the houses constructed by their ancestors in order to conserve their heritage, the state has remained indifferent towards their plight. Apart from local FM stations that regularly provide the locals with essential information and guidelines to survive wildfires, only a handful of government officials have reached the village to take account of their condition.

Meanwhile, Chief District Officer Damaru Prasad Niraula, who also happens to be the chairperson of the District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC), reached Taplejung municipality-8  on Thursday to take stock of the situation.

Local Dilmaya Biswokarma said it was the first time that a high-ranking government official had reached the village.

While expressing her gratitude to CDO Niraula, Biswokarma complained that remote villages in the district lack water storage containers to douse dangerous wildfires.  

A team of representatives from DDMC that had reached Dhuseni with Niraula also taught the locals about precautionary measures they should take during forest fires and asked them to immediately call the hotline number 100 for help.