The recurring forest fires in the Dzukou valley, a green sanctuary straddling the Nagaland-Manipur border, has become a cause for concern. The valley, a popular trekking spot in the North East, has been prone to fire outbreaks for decades with occurrences noted in 2006, 2010, 2012, and 2015. The latest incident, which lasted two weeks, has now been controlled.
Location and Features
Situated on the Nagaland-Manipur border, the renowned Dzukou Valley, fondly referred to as the ‘valley of flower’, is located at an elevation of 2,438 metres behind the Japfu mountain range. Adjacent to the Pulie Badze Wildlife Sanctuary (Nagaland), the valley contains Dzukou valley and Japfu peak. The area hosts no human settlements within its forests, but it is home to rare and ‘vulnerable’ bird species according to the IUCN Red List. These include Blyth’s Tragopan, Nagaland’s state bird, the Rufous-necked Hornbill, the Dark-rumped Swift, and many others. The endangered Western Hoolock Gibbons also inhabit these forests.
The valley’s ecosystem includes bamboo and other grass species. It boasts many species of flowering plants that include the endemic Dzukou Lily- Lilium chitrangada. Despite being a natural haven, the valley is a source of conflict over ownership between local tribes and the state governments of Manipur and Nagaland. The Angami people call this valley their home.
Forest Fires: Overview, Causes, and Impact
A forest fire, also known as a wildfire, bush fire, or vegetation fire, is defined as an uncontrolled and non-prescribed combustion or burning of plants in natural settings such as forests, grasslands, brushlands, or tundra. These fires consume natural fuels and spread based on environmental conditions such as wind and topography.
Such fires can be triggered by several human actions, including land clearing and extreme drought, and in rare instances, by lightning. Slash-and-burn cultivation, commonly known as jhoom or jhum cultivation, is a critical reason for forest fires in the North East. The fires typically occur between January and March. Though these regions have tropical evergreen forests that are less likely to catch fire than dry deciduous forests of central India, they remain vulnerable to wildfire.
On a global scale, forest fires release billions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. An estimated hundreds of thousands of people are believed to suffer deaths caused by illnesses linked to the exposure to smoke from forest fires and other landscape fires.
Findings from the 2019 Forest Survey of India (FSI) Report
The FSI report from 2019 stated about 21.40% of India’s forest cover is susceptible to fires, with forests in the northeastern region and central India being the most vulnerable. Despite an overall increase in green cover in the country, the forest cover in the north-east — specifically in Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland — has reduced. Forest Fires could potentially be one of the causes for this reduction.
Measures Taken to Prevent Future Forest Fires
To control wildfires, several measures have been put into place. These include the National Action Plan on Forest Fires (NAPFF) 2018 and the Forest Fire Prevention and Management Scheme. These plans aim to mitigate the occurrence of wildfires and protect the rich biodiversity of regions like the Dzukou Valley.
