Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 1 January, promised the Manipur government “all the necessary assistance from the Home Ministry” to contain the threat of a wildfire in the Dzuko valley, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh has confirmed.
The wildfire broke out on Tuesday in the Nagaland side of the Dzuko range, but later spread to the Senapati district of Manipur sometime on Thursday. The Manipur government put in a request for the National Disaster Response Force as well as forces from the Army to assist firefighters in tackling the crisis.
On Thursday, 31 December, the Manipur CM had personally conducted an aerial survey of the valley, posting videos showing the extend of the damage, and promising to send more personnel to deal with the fire.
News 18 reports that forest department personnel, firefighters, police and volunteers from the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) have been trying to douse the fires since Thursday. They also note that Nagaland governor N Ravi had visited the other side of the Dzuko Valley on Wednesday.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)