Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 9 (EMN): Officials on Saturday updated that the wildfire near the scenic Dzükou Valley has been brought under control “totally” with no fresh fire or smoke being reported after a “low intense smoke” was doused earlier in the day.
Divisional forest officer (DFO), Kohima, Rajkumar M informed Eastern Mirror that no fresh fire or smoke was visible from the base camp since 4:30 pm on Saturday, but operations would continue to tackle any possible fire around the valley.
“The ground operation team is still stationed at the camp (in Dzükou) and the choppers are also still on standby,” he informed, adding that the situation is "totally under control and closely monitored”.
The ground team will resume operations on Sunday and aerial survey will be conducted, he stated.
An update by DPRO Kohima also informed that Rajkumar said at the review meeting of the Kohima District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on Dzükou fire operation, held in Kohima DC office on Saturday, that a recce-cum bambi bucket operation was conducted at 2:30 on January 9 with DFO Dimapur, Beizo Suokhrie and Sr. Consultant NSDMA, Hinotoli on board an IAF chopper to assess the fire situation.
SP Kohima, Manoj Kumar told the house that the ground operation team updated about smoke coming from across the mountain at around 10 am, being “doused by one sortie of IAF bambi bucket operation” as the team at the base camp couldn’t access the location due to high ridge. He also informed that no active smoke or fire was reported by the ground team from the watch tower till Saturday evening.
Ruopfukuotuo Noudi, SDO(C) Jakhama told this newspaper that “everything seems to be ok” but “we will have to wait and observe” till Sunday. He added that demobilisation of the contingent would take place in a phased manner from Monday onwards once normalcy is restored.
Southern Angami Youth Organisation (Sayo) general secretary, Adukho Kintso said that 11 more Sayo volunteers were deployed at the camping site in Dzükou on Saturday night, apart from 20-strong contingent that has been camping in the valley, to monitor and tackle the situation.
DRPO Kohima updated that Saturday’s “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”, and that ‘DSP Traffic and his team will replace SDPO South and his team on Sunday’.