The Dzuko Valley located at the Manipur-Nagaland border is engulfed in huge wildfire that has been raging for past 72 hours. Also known as ‘Valley of glower’ for its pristine beauty and abundant presence of flora and fauna, the Dzuko Valley has been called the ‘most beautiful place’ in this north-eastern state. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh took to Twitter and posted a series of photos and video clip to speak about the vast scale of the wildfire. On Thursday, the Indian Air Force announced that it will be sending a chopper to help the local authorities in dousing the fire. According to news agency ANI, an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter fitted with bambi bucket is flying to the Dzuko Valley. The decision was taken after a request was sent by the Nagaland government to the IAF’s Eastern Air Command.
While the wildfires have been a frequent phenomenon in the West, the Indian forests have largely remained safe from such incidents. However, a significant increase in global warming and human activities have resulted in more and more wildfires in India also. Last time, the nation witnessed such a massive wildfire was in the year 2016. That time, the hills of Uttarakhand saw huge wildfire that raged on for days. The IAF had also joined the rescue mission in 2016 also. Bambi buckets fitted with the choppers were used to fill water and sprinkle on the vast area from the above.
The Dzuko Valley wildfire may have already reached the Mount Asli, Biren Singh warned in one of his tweets. He also said that the fire is likely to reach the deepest parts of this biodiversity region if winds go in a particular direction, which will result in further devastation. He had also said that since the grass is dry, the fire will spread quickly. Several photos tweeted by him showed a thick plume of white smoke billowing from the mountains in the valley.
