Army-Air Force work continues on war footing to extinguish forest fires in Arunachal and Nagaland.

Guwahati. The work of extinguishing forest fires in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland is continuing on a war footing. Indian Army and Air Force are engaged in the operation. Helicopters are continuously dropping water, while teams on the surface are trying to extinguish the fire with special equipment. So far the fire in Walong, Arunachal Pradesh has been brought under control. The Indian Air Force posted on Twitter saying that helicopters are engaged in the mission to extinguish forest fires on two fronts and are continuously conducting aerial firefighting in difficult areas.
According to media reports, the Air Force has informed that a total of 139,800 liters of water has been dropped in Walong, Arunachal Pradesh, due to which the fire has been extinguished. Also, operations are going on in Zukou Valley in Nagaland, in which helicopters are bringing water and extinguishing the fire near Japfu Peak amid steep slopes, poor visibility and rarefied air. Indian Army soldiers, along with the Air Force, are trying to control the forest fire breaking out in remote areas at an altitude of about 3,000 to 3,500 feet in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. On Tuesday, the Army had shared videos showing helicopters dropping water to extinguish the fire on the hills, while other fire-fighting equipment was also deployed to assist ground teams. It is said that this fire spread in the forest on February 13.
Earlier on Saturday, the Air Force had posted that helicopters are continuously conducting fire extinguishing missions above 9,500 feet in the Lohit Valley of Arunachal Pradesh. More than 12,000 liters of water was delivered to hotspots on the hills above the Lohit valley. Despite bad weather and thin air, helicopters are continuing their work by dropping water to douse the fires and protect the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
According to a defense spokesperson in Guwahati, dry weather and shifting cultivation, the traditional slash-and-burn method of hill tribes, are among the main causes of forest fires in the Northeast.
The spokesperson said around-the-clock work has been done over the past five days with aerial surveillance and helicopters assisting in water dropping. These operations are being carried out in very difficult terrain and weather conditions so that the fire is completely extinguished.