Simrik Air calls for water sources conservation

imrik Air, a leading helicopter company in Nepal, hosted a press event on Monday to call for the conservation of water sources to better combat fire incidents. Muralidhar Joshi, the company’s general manager, emphasized the challenges Simrik Air faces during aerial firefighting, with the major hurdle being a lack of available water sources.

Simrik Air uses the Bambi Bucket system with a 1,000-liter capacity for aerial firefighting operations—one of a kind in Nepal. This system allows them to collect and drop large volumes of water to extinguish forest fires. 

Joshi urged all levels of government and stakeholders to ensure that adequate water resources are available to support aerial firefighting efforts.

He also reiterated Simrik Air’s commitment to fighting fires as part of their corporate social responsibility, expressing a willingness to deploy their helicopters as needed

During the press event, Simrik Air also shared videos explaining the causes of fire incidents and demonstrated how the Bambi Bucket system operates to control fires. Presentations from experts and stakeholders added context to the discussion. 

Kishor Kumar Bhattarai, a firefighting expert, gave a presentation on national and international practices in firefighting, emphasizing that firefighting is a team effort. He also pointed out the risks of deploying fire trucks in hilly and forested areas, suggesting that aerial firefighting is often safer and more effective in those environments. 

Bhattarai also underscored the need for government training and equipping of firefighters to address the shortage of resources.

Journalist Bhim Kharel and Phanindra Raj Kharel, former director-general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, praised Simrik’s firefighting efforts and urged government collaboration to expand these operations.

Simrik Air, established in 2001, has built a strong reputation for high-altitude rescues, emergency response, tourism, and humanitarian work in Nepal. The company employs experienced pilots and rescue specialists trained in the United States and Switzerland, and is involved in research and development to adapt to Nepal’s unique terrain and landscape.

The urgency of Simrik Air’s call to action is backed by alarming statistics: In the past four months, there have been fire incidents in 500 locations, resulting in 76 fatalities. Nepal Police data indicates that around 1m hectares are destroyed by fire each year, and over the past five years, approximately 10,000 houses have been lost to fire. 

Despite these significant challenges, there are only 116 fire trucks in the country, with 665 out of 753 local governments lacking fire trucks.

Simrik Air suggests

• Assess the likelihood of the fire spreading to nearby villages and settlements, and report findings to the appropriate local authorities, including the district police office and the district disaster management office
• If there’s a risk that the fire could soon reach the village and cause significant damage, the district disaster management office or the local government will contact a helicopter company for emergency support
• When reporting to the helicopter company, inform them of the exact coordinates of the fireplace, and let them know about the coordinates of the water sources nearby. Ensure to maintain constant communication with the helicopter company and provide necessary documents
• If the nearest water source is around the distance of 15-20 km, aerial firefighting will be an effective option for controlling the fire