Dzukou Valley Fire

For 10 days, aided by winds that keep changing direction and the dryness of winter afternoons, the forests of Dzukou Valley along the Nagaland- Manipur border have been burning. According to officials, the inferno has damaged the forest and harmed the biodiversity of the valley, which is a sanctuary for endangered birds and animals. Hence, if not controlled on time, the wildfire could have a huge environmental impact. Volunteers and government agencies are working tirelessly under harsh conditions to douse the breakout. "The wildfire has been doused in most areas but gusty winds have taken the blaze to newer areas. We expect to fully control the blaze in the next 24 hours. The combined forces would study the exact ground situation on Friday and accordingly operations and the necessary steps would be taken," Ruangmei, who is supervising the operation, told IANS over the phone from Kohima.

The exact cause of the fire could not be ascertained. However, to avoid such huge damage we all should be extremely careful when burning combustible waste, or when using lighters or other dangerous and flammable materials.