FIRE DESTROYS SIX DOZEN HOUSES IN SIRAHA

SIX DOZEN HOUSES GUTTED BY FIRE IN SIRAHA
Kathmandu, 15 April: Fire gutted around six dozen houses at Ward Nos. 6 and 7 of Karukiya VDC in the southern belt of Siraha district, on Sunday, RSS reports from Lahan..

According to a local, Nagendra Kumar Yadav, the fire started at around 1:45 p.m. completely destroyed local Sisuwa village and spread to the eastern village Karukiyahi as the gale blew from west to east direction.

The villagers have been working tirelessly to douse the fire but it could not be brought under control due to the strong gale, said another local Sharandev Yadav.

No human casualties have been so far reported in the fire.

Meanwhile, a fire engine was sent at 2:15 p.m. from Lahan Municipality to the village that is 15-km away from Dhangadi VDC.
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40 ENDANGERED GHARILS RELEASED IN RAPTI RIVER
Kathmandu, 15 April: As many as 40 Gharial crocodiles have been released into the Rapti River, Chitwan district with a view to increasing the Gharial's population, RSS reports
from Chitwan..

The reptiles were released from Kasara based Office of the Chitwan National Park coinciding with the Wildlife Conservation Week.

They were brought up at the Gharial Breeding Center in the Park with a view to protecting one of the rarest reptiles in the world, said Chief of the Center, Bed Bahadur Khadka.

With this, some 100 crocodiles have been released into the Rapti and Narayani Rivers of late. The park administration released 60 more Gharials on various dates.

The Gharial population is declining at a fast pace, taking the reptile to the brink of extinction, as they do not have proper food due to growing pollution of the rivers.

The animal rights activists have stressed on bringing separate programme to save the rarest reptile's population from the government's level.
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