Kohima: The major forest fire in Nagaland’s Western Dzukou Valley has been largely brought under control, reports said.
According to reports, on December 15, Deputy Commissioner of Kohima B Henok Buchem, NCS, along with SDO (Civil) Sechü-Zubza Imliakum, Nodal Officer Thejangulie Zao, District Commandant HG, CD & SDRF Wopenthung and other district officials from the Police, Forest and Fire & Emergency Services, visited the base camp of teams engaged in combating the fire.
Khonoma Youth representatives, along with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other government agencies briefed the officials on the prevailing situation. The adviser of the Khonoma Youth Organisation also acknowledged the role of the Deputy Commissioner, in his capacity as chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, for effective coordination of the operation, describing it as a successful example of disaster response. They also expressed gratitude for the support extended by all stakeholders during the crisis.
An inspection team deployed earlier in the day reported that smoke emitted from burnt bushes in certain areas, however, no active flames were detected.
On the other hand, Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters, equipped with Bambi buckets, were deployed to suppress residual smoke and prevent flare-ups. As a precautionary measure, Western Dzükou has been temporarily closed to the public.
An aerial survey of the Western and Southern Dzükou valley was conducted using a helicopter to access the overall situation by the Western and Southern Advisor, NSDMA & NRE, Z Nyusietho Nyuthe, along with Deputy Commissioner Buchem, Nodal Officer Thejangulie Zao and Assistant Manager (Response & Communication), NSDMA, Rendemo Shitio.
A discussion was held on whether to continue operations at the site. While the helicopter crew from Kharagpur, along with youth volunteers and SDRF personnel, expressed confidence that the fire had been contained, it was decided that a team would undertake another trek to Western Dzükou the following day to further assess ground conditions.
DC Buchem expressed gratitude to all those involved in the operation, praising the people of Khonoma for the cooperation that they showed.