The Indian Air Force conducted a four-day helicopter operation to help contain a major forest fire in Mebo sub-division of East Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, carrying out 54 sorties and dropping approximately 1.62 lakh litres of water over affected forest areas and nearby human settlements, officials said on Thursday.
The operation began on March 8, a day after the East Siang district administration reported the spread of the forest fire in Mebo circle on the night of March 7 and requested helicopter support.
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Following the district administration's request, the Arunachal Pradesh Civil Aviation Department approached the Ministry of Defence and the Eastern Air Command. The IAF then launched the operation, beginning with aerial reconnaissance of the fire-hit areas and trial water-lifting runs before undertaking full-scale firefighting efforts.
During the operation, IAF helicopters lifted water from the Siang River and dropped it over interior forest areas as well as locations close to human settlements, according to a press statement issued by state disaster management secretary Dani Sulu.