JUMLA, Dec 17: The fire engine used for fire control in Chandannath Municipality of Jumla has remained unrepaired for the past three months, raising serious questions not only about the municipality’s administrative capacity but also about the priorities of its elected representatives.
The municipal fire engine vandalized during the Gen-Z protest on September 9 has yet to return to operation. In contrast, vehicles used by elected representatives and municipal employees that were damaged during the same incident have already been repaired and are back on the road. During the protest, a fire engine, an ambulance, a hearse, a dozer, a jeep, a Hilux, a Scorpio, and 11 motorcycles and scooters were vandalized.
Similarly, computers, LCDs, a digital citizen charter board, token machines, printers, furniture, and municipal police equipment inside the office were also destroyed. According to Chandannath Municipality’s internal records, total damage exceeded Rs 9.87 million, with the largest share—Rs 7.97 million—accounted for by damaged vehicles.
More troubling than the scale of the damage, however, is the disparity in repair priorities. The ambulance and hearse have already been repaired and brought back into operation. Vehicles used by elected representatives and staff were also fixed promptly. But the fire engine—used for the highly sensitive task of fire control—has remained idle for three months, fueling public anger.
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The fire engine has been kept at Rawal Workshop in Chandannath Municipality–6 for the past week. According to workshop operator Bindas Rawal, the front windshield has already been installed, but repairs have been delayed as some spare parts are yet to arrive.
“The work will be completed within a week,” he said.
Local residents, however, are unwilling to accept the delay as merely a technical issue. Harkabahadur Rokaya accused elected representatives of prioritizing vehicles they personally use over assets of public importance.
“If there is no fire engine, who will put out a fire?” he asked. “This is playing with citizens’ safety.” Dhanbahadur Thapa of Chandannath Municipality–6 said the failure to repair the fire engine reflects not just administrative weakness but a lack of sensitivity.
“A fire can destroy an entire settlement within minutes,” he said. “Leaving a fire engine unrepaired for three months is unfortunate.”
Rajbahadur Khatri of Chandannath–10 also questioned the municipal leadership. “What kind of governance is it to repair personal vehicles quickly while neglecting the fire engine that protects citizens’ lives and property?” he asked.
Meanwhile, Chief Administrative Officer of Chandannath Municipality Kshetrabahadur Budhathapa claimed the repair process is ongoing. “Spare parts for other vehicles are available within Nepal, but some parts for the fire engine must be imported from Delhi, India, which caused the delay,” he said. However, he did not clearly explain why the process failed to move forward for three months.
Women’s rights activist Dilmaya Shahi said delays in repairing such an essential asset are not merely administrative failures but a display of insensitivity toward citizens’ lives and property. “The foremost responsibility of a local government is public safety,” she said. “Here, that responsibility appears to have been sidelined.”
In a Himalayan district like Jumla, alternatives for fire control are extremely limited. With the fire engine out of operation, the entire municipality remains at heightened risk. Yet even after three months, the fire engine has not been repaired—leaving unanswered whether this is due to administrative inertia or misplaced priorities.
