Senapati: A massive wildfire at Dziiko and Mt Esii continued for the second consecutive day, causing extensive damage to forest cover across the mountain range. A joint firefighting team reached the affected area at around 6 am on Thursday in renewed efforts to contain the blaze.
Teams involved in the operation include Manipur Police personnel from Mao, Tadubi and Maram, the Tadubi Fire Brigade, the Forest Department, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Song Song sub-divisional officer, Song Song Village Authority, and local volunteers from Mao-area villages.
According to officials and local sources, the fire originated from the southern side of Dziiko and later spread towards the Mt Esii range, engulfing large portions of the mountainside. More than 150 personnel and volunteers have been engaged in the firefighting operation.
Despite steep cliffs and treacherous terrain, around 30 to 40 volunteers managed to climb Mt Esii and directly smother the flames. The Indian Air Force also visited the site to assess the situation, while a helicopter has been kept on standby in case aerial intervention becomes necessary.
Sources on the ground said firefighting efforts are currently being carried out primarily by teams from the Manipur side, with no active participation reported from the Nagaland side so far. This has raised concerns among locals, who have urged authorities from both states to coordinate efforts to protect the shared forest landscape.
Officials said the fire has been largely brought under control due to sustained efforts by village volunteers and emergency response teams.
However, sources indicated that the wildfire is suspected to be man-made, raising serious questions regarding negligence and accountability.
Forest fires cause extensive damage to flora and fauna, destroy wildlife habitats, and degrade natural water sources and catchment areas, increasing the risk of long-term water scarcity for nearby villages.
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As forest land continues to burn, residents have questioned how many more forests must be lost before stronger preventive measures are enforced.
Following the incident, experts and local leaders have appealed to the government to urgently strengthen forest protection and wildfire prevention measures. The demands include stricter enforcement of wildfire regulations, bans on open burning, harsher penalties for violations, increased deployment of trained forest guards, improved monitoring systems, and sustained community awareness programmes.
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