IAF helicopters deployed as fire continues in Dzukou Valley across Nagaland-Manipur

KOhima: deuce amerindic send ram (IAF) helicopters from the Eastern send Command were deployed on Friday to contain a fire that broke out in the Dziiko (Dzukou) Valley spanning Nagaland and Manipur three days ago and has since spread to Mount Iso (Mount Esii), Manipur’s highest peak.The IAF choppers carried out several sorties, however, due to cloudy weather, the aerial counterfire efforts could not continue till late afternoon, officials said.The officials added that the fire has caused extensive damage to the surrounding landscape.Deputy commissioner (DC) Kohima B Henok Buchem told HT that the ground surveillance team has reported back from the fire site and a review meeting was held to take stock of the situation.“The main Dzükou valley remains untouched by the fire so far. The fire is spreading slowly and remains concentrated primarily around the Dzükou helipad area. With ongoing active intervention by the IAF helicopters, containment is expected to be achieved, and operations are to continue tomorrow,” the DC said.Also Read: Four trekkers rescued as wildfire erupts in Nagaland’s Dzükou Valley; trekking bannedMeanwhile, the surveillance team would continue to monitor and assess the situation from the location.Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police, fire department, and various civil society organisations are engaged in containment efforts, officials said on Thursday.Nsonji Lake in neighbouring Tseminyu district and Padampukhuri Lake in Dimapur have been identified as the water source for the aerial firefighting measures.Authorities said the fire moving towards the Manipur side of the valley has been contained but continues to slowly burn within the valley. “We are on high alert as coordinated efforts continue to contain the blaze,” an official said.In December last year, a wildfire razed down a major portion of the scenic valley on the western side. The inferno was said to have been ignited by the negligence of unregistered trekkers in the valley.The Dzükou valley, which is bordered by mountain ridges with thickets of forests on all the sides has immense ecological and social significance as it acts as catchment for many rivers and rivulets emerging from the valley and adjoining mountain ranges. The larger parts of the valley and adjoining hill slopes are covered by dense carpet of monopodial bamboo (Arundinaria sp.). The forests to the north of the valley provide home and breeding ground for the endemic and rare bird species, Blyth’s Tragopan, the State Bird of Nagaland.The rare ecosystem comprising the valley and mountainous ridges all around, is a major tourist destination.In 2015 and 2020, similar fire breakouts devastated the kaleidoscopic valley where an estimated area of 8-10 Sq Km were affected. Those incidents had also prompted the IAF to join in the firefighting to strengthen the ground forces.