Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio told the Nagaland Legislative Assembly that no one has been identified in the Dzükou Valley forest fire that burned for nearly a month earlier this year.
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KOHIMA — Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Tuesday informed the Nagaland Legislative Assembly that no person has been identified or apprehended so far in connection with the forest fire that burned Dzükou valley for nearly a month earlier this year.
Responding to a query raised by MLA Naiba Konyak during the ongoing assembly session, Rio, who also holds charge of the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), said forest fire incidents in Dzükou Valley since 2023 have reportedly been mainly due to “human errors or carelessness”.
The fire first broke out in Dzükou on January 26 and by the 25th day more than half of the valley had been affected, officials said. The government requisitioned Indian Air Force helicopters equipped with bambi buckets for several days to douse the blaze.
The Southern Angami Youth Organisation later stated on February 19 that the fire had been contained and announced the reopening of Dzükou valley to visitors, which had been restricted since the fire started.
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Rio also outlined measures being taken to prevent future fires in the valley. Community volunteers from Western and Southern Angami areas, in collaboration with the Angami Youth Organisation, were trained at Khonoma from March 3 to the 9th.
He said the department will take up establishment of watch towers in high-risk zones, procurement of firefighting equipment such as beaters, drones and water backpacks, creation and maintenance of firelines, training of Rapid Response Teams, early warning systems using SMS alerts and sirens, and drone surveillance for monitoring inaccessible areas.
On the question of total expenditure incurred on hiring army helicopters to extinguish forest fires from 2023 till date, the chief minister said bills for the latest hiring of Indian Air Force helicopters are yet to be received.
Raising the issue, MLA Naiba Konyak said forest fires in Dzükou valley have been occurring for several years. Citing Konyak customary law, he said a person responsible for burning forests or jhum fields would face fines, ostracism and seizure of fields.
He added that if someone from another area burns the jungles or jhum of another village, one jhum cycle of the responsible person’s village would be taken as compensation, noting that people strictly adhere to such customary practices.
It may be mentioned that Western Dzükou in Khonoma was also ravaged by fire for four days in December 2025.