Fire in the hills
As normally happen during the dry and windy season, reports on outbreak of fire have started coming from different parts of the State in the last few days. Besides the seasonal factor, outbreak of fire either from electric short circuit or from other causes are common occurrences that the people have been witnessing or hearing every now and then in Manipur and the magnitude of the devastation left behind knows no limit, whether it is in the remote areas of the hills or in the valley. But the outbreak of fire in remote hill areas during this time of the season is definitely fearful. In the last few days, we have heard the reports of inferno that spread from a bush fire and grounded 25 houses completely in H Phaikoh village of Ukhrul district bordering with Myanmar and that of ravaging around 10 houses on the outskirt of Vaisuon village in Churachandpur. Just as none can predict where the next calamity would strike, we could not rest assured that it would not be repeated.
Like the proverbial saying, ‘atleast something is left after a thief burgled the house but nothing when the fire rages’, the situation may be slightly better off in places where the assistance of the fire services and other agencies could be sought but in the remote hill areas, where the wind is strong and the lifestyle as well as construction materials used in the houses are more susceptible to catching fire, there could be no such consolations. The only possibility is, once ignited, the fire would spread fast and furious leaving behind a trail of destruction. The risk factor is even more higher as the sources of water are limited in the hill areas, the road and other communication system are deplorable and there is no hope of availing the services of fire brigade. The prospect of ensuring fire fighting measures in the remote hill areas in the near future would be a wishful dream and imparting fire fighting training to each and every villages would be an impossible proposition. Even then we cannot leave behind the poor brethren to fend for themselves. Apart from rehabilitating the fire victims who have lost everything, the Government can initiate atleast some measures towards controlling repeated outbreaks of fire. A change in the construction materials used for the houses, if we may be allowed to suggest, could very well be a starter.