Nagaland: Dzükou fire largely under control; IAF choppers to begin ops

The wildfire in the Western Dzükou Valley has been brought largely under control, deputy commissioner Kohima Henok Buchem, said on Sunday following an on-site inspection.
Buchem said a joint team comprising members of the Khonoma Youth Organisation and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel conducted the inspection on December 14 and returned to the base camp by evening. He said the situation had improved significantly compared to previous days.
DC informed that Indian Air Force helicopters were expected to commence aerial operations on Monday, deploying Bambi buckets to douse remaining fire-affected areas.
To ensure complete containment and rule out residual fire hazards, Buchem said another joint inspection would be carried out on Monday. Teams from the Police, Forest Department, Fire Department, SDRF and Khonoma village volunteers would depart the base camp at 9 am.
Meanwhile, youths from Jotsoma village have reportedly taken up renovation of the approach road to Western Dzükou as a precautionary measure.
A village leader said that around 12–13 youths undertook the work on Sunday morning using excavators.
The road, locally known as Liehuo Cha, stretches about 20 km and leads to the valley. The leader said the road, though existing earlier, frequently deteriorated due to torrential rains and required timely attention.