Massive forest fire in Dzukou Valley now spreads to Manipur

A massive forest fire that has been raging the picturesque Dzukou Valley along the Nagaland-Manipur since Tuesday spread to the hills of Manipur on Thursday, officials said.

The state forest department staff and villagers from Mao area in Manipur’s Senapati district who monitored the fire said it was raging on Nagaland side till Wednesday.

But by Thursday morning, the wildfire reached Manipur hill side, people familiar with the development said.

Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh who made an aerial survey over Dzukou Valley on Thursday took to Twitter to appeal for help. Updating the situation and sharing some photographs and video, the chief minister tweeted, “Taking serious view of the wildfire at Dzukou valley, having a personal aerial survey of the situation, sending more personnel to the spot and seeking help from concerned authorities to stop the spread of the fire and save the deep forest portion of the valley.”

In visuals he posted, smoke could be seen billowing from the picturesque mountain ranges.

“As the wildfire was spreading very alarmingly and needed immediate attention before it spread towards Mt Iso, the Chief Minister personally undertook the aerial survey,” the CM’s secretariat said in a statement.

The State Government had also requested the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to provide assistance in containing the situation and had also requisitioned the Army and the Assam Rifles to assist fire fighters in extinguishing the wild fire.

Dzukou Valley is a tourist draw and a trekking destination.