From Bhadra Gogoi
Dimapur: The Kohima District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) said the wildfire, which broke out along a trekking route leading to the scenic Dzükou Valley in Kohima district on December 29, has been brought under control on the valley site on Sunday.
In an update, the DDMA said a total of 24000 litres of water with 12 shuttles were dropped in today’s fire-fighting exercise. The IAF helicopters were utilised for dropping water at the fire at the Dzukou. Four helicopters made two trips each yesterday.
On Sunday, additional deputy commissioner and DDMA chief executive officer Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa, along with other officers and some trained personnel, visited the location. Ground operations were carried out by Nagaland Police, Forest department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) volunteers.
More volunteers from SDRF, District Executive Force (DEF), 4th Nagaland Armed Police, Forest department and SAYO volunteers went up to Dzukou today. Quoting fire watchers, the update said the fire was descending down on south west side. Immediately, a message was relayed to the control room to brief forces to start cutting fire line on that side to prevent further spread.
Kohima Forest Division and SAYO volunteers had already cut a 5 km fire line on December 31 last year and another 2 km fire line was cut by SAYO volunteers, assisted by Kohima Police and SDRF, on January 1 to prevent the spread of the fire to valley. On Sunday, further fire line cutting was done to contain the fire in the valley.
Kohima deputy commissioner and DDMA chairman Mohammed Ali Shihab A. said as a follow up, to maintain a seamless communication with ground ops team, a control room has been set up by the Kohima Police at Dzukou entry point in Viswema village and two relay stations were also set up at resting shed and base camp area at Dzukou Valley.
According to the DC, the fire is concentrated in the area between Mt. Tempfu and Elephant gate (near the main valley) which is descending down towards the valley. Rest of the area along the trekking route (from View Point to base camp area) where the major fire was present for the past two/three days have completely subsided, the update stated.
Kohima SP Manoj Kumar said 24 personnel from 4th NAP, 21 personnel from SDRF, 38 personnel from NDRF, seven personnel from Forest department, 10 personnel from Kohima DEF, along with SAYO volunteers, participated in today’s ground operation. Another 20 personnel from NDRF who were at base camp also joined the ground operations, the update added.
