A massive wildfire at Dzuko and Mt Esii continued for the second consecutive day, causing extensive damage to forest cover across the mountain range, before being largely brought under control through sustained joint efforts. A coordinated firefighting team reached the affected area at around six in the morning on Friday to intensify operations aimed at containing the blaze.
The firefighting operation involved Manipur Police personnel from Mao, Tadubi and Maram, the Tadubi Fire Brigade, officials of the Forest Department, teams from the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force, the Song Song Sub-Divisional Officer, members of the 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 rapidly towards the Mt Esii range, engulfing large stretches of forest along the mountainside. More than one hundred and fifty personnel and volunteers were deployed to battle the flames under difficult conditions.
Despite steep cliffs and treacherous terrain, around thirty to forty volunteers managed to climb Mt Esii and directly smother the fire at critical points. The Indian Air Force also visited the site to assess the situation, and a helicopter was kept on standby in case aerial intervention became necessary.
Sources at the site said firefighting efforts were being carried out mainly by teams from the Manipur side, with no active participation reported from the Nagaland side so far. This has led to concern among local residents, who have urged authorities of both states to coordinate closely to protect the shared forest ecosystem.
Officials stated that the wildfire has been largely brought under control due to the relentless efforts of village volunteers and emergency response teams, though complete extinguishing and monitoring remain ongoing to prevent flare-ups.
However, local sources indicated that the wildfire is suspected to be man-made, raising serious questions about negligence and accountability. Forest fires, experts warned, cause severe damage to flora and fauna, destroy wildlife habitats, and degrade natural water sources and catchment areas, increasing the long-term risk of water scarcity for surrounding villages.
As forest land continues to burn in different parts of the region, residents have questioned how many more forests must be lost before stronger preventive mechanisms are enforced. Following the incident, experts and local leaders have appealed to the government to urgently strengthen forest protection and wildfire prevention measures. These include stricter enforcement of forest fire regulations, bans on open burning, stringent penalties for violations, increased deployment of trained forest guards, improved surveillance and monitoring systems, and sustained community awareness programmes to prevent future incidents.