KOHIMA, JANUARY 9: Despite no active fire or smoke erupting for the third consecutive day, Firefighters, stationed at the Dzukou valley base camp, are maintaining close vigil, official sources said Saturday.
Today is the 12th day since the wildfire engulfed the Dzukou Range, which cradles the picturesque Dzukou valley amidst the luscious greenery of Kohima district in Nagaland.
Maintaining that no active fire was noticed during the day, except low intensity smoke emanating at one difficult terrain spot, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kohima, Rajkumar M said IAF chopper carried out Bambi bucket operation to douse it by afternoon.
On Friday also smoke was coming out from the same spot while the ground team comprising of both State and Central Disaster forces, Forest and Police personnel and local volunteers were unable to reach the spot due to difficult terrain and the absence of trekking route, he said.
Thereafter, Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Response Force and IAF carried out aerial survey and reported that no active fire or smoke was detected by 4:30 p.m., on Saturday, he said.
Nonetheless, DFO, Kohima, said that around 200-strong contingents of NDRF, SDRF, Police and Forest personnel with Southern Angami Youth Organisation volunteers are stationed in the base camp and are maintaining close watch on the overall situation.
Ground operations will continue on Sunday while choppers are on standby, he said, adding that a call on the overall situation will be taken after a joint aerial survey is conducted at around 11 a.m.
Meanwhile, Kohima District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) reviewed today’s Dzükou fire operation, under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner and Chairman DDMA Kohima, Mohammed Ali Shihab A (IAS), at his Office.
Reviewing the day’s operation activities, DFO Raj Kumar informed that a Recce-cum-Bambi Bucket Operation was conducted today at 2:30 p.m. with DFO Dimapur, Beizo Suokhrie (IFS) and Senior Consultant NSDMA, Hinotoli, on board the IAF Chopper during Recce-cum-Bambi bucket operation to assess the fire situation. It was observed that no fresh fire or fresh smokes were visible while a very low intense smoke was seen which was doused by Bambi Bucket Operation.
SP, Kohima, Manoj Kumar (IPS) also informed that the ground operation team reported that smoke from across the mountain started appearing at around 10 a.m. However, due to the high ridge and inaccessibility by the ground operation team, the smoke was doused by one sortie of IAF bambi bucket operation.
The SP further informed that no active smoke or fire was reported by the ground team from the watch tower till the time of reporting.
DC, Kohima, also informed that State Government has decided to continue with the Recce-cum-Bambi bucket Operation tomorrow to assess the situation and carry out the operation accordingly.
Today ground operation team was led by SDO, Kohima, Daniel Angami, along with DDMO Thejangulie Zao and SDPO, South, with NDRF, Kohima Police, Forest and Volunteers who were camped at the base camp. It was also informed that DSP, Traffic, and his team will replace SDPO, South, and his team tomorrow while discussion on tentative plan for demobilisation of operation team camped at base camp was also discussed.
A press release issued by PRO, Defence, stated that security forces teams of Spear Corps along with NDRF have been deployed to extinguish the wildfire in Dzukou Valley, which is raging on since December 29.
Operating in the Northern part across Dzukou River, the teams have been successful in dousing fire at a large area and are creating fire lanes to arrest further spread.
Spear Corps teams are also providing critical logistics support to the NDRF team at Dzukou Valley, as well as the much-needed impetus to the overall efforts. Quick response by the Security Forces has been highly appreciated by the civil administration and NDRF team.
(Page News Service)
