IAF choppers, NDRF teams try to extinguish wildfire in Nagaland's Dzukou Range

Kohima: Indian Air Force choppers, NDRF teams, forest and police personnel on Sunday tried to extinguish the wildfire in the Dzukou range in Nagaland's Kohima district, officials said. The fire broke out in the Dzukou range in Southern Angami region of the district on Tuesday afternoon. The scenic Dzukou valley, a tourist hot spot in Nagaland, is located in the Dzukou range.

The District Forest Officer (DFO), Kohima, Rajkumar M said IAF choppers have dropped 24,000 litres of water to extinguish the wildfire in 12 sorties.

He said that ground operations to extinguish the fire were carried out by Nagaland Police, Forest, NDRF, SDRF and SAYO volunteers on Sunday.

The DFO said the fire is under control as reported by the pilots and the teams are trying to prevent it from spreading to the Dzukou valley.

SDO (Civil) Jakhama, SDPO South and Range Forest Officer, Kohima are coordinating the ground operations to extinguish the fire, he said. To maintain seamless communication with the ground operation team, Kohima Police has set up a control room at Dzukou entry point at Viswema village and two relay stations also set up in the Dzuku base camp, he said. The DFO said that Kohima Forest Division and SAYO volunteers had already cut a 5 km fire line on December 31 while another 2 km fire line was cut by SAYO volunteers on January 1.