Major fire breaks out at Sokpay reserve forest

DIKCHU, 16 March: A major forest fire is reported to have broken out in the Sokpay forest reserve above Lingee in South Sikkim last morning [pic above].
The spot falls on the border of North and South districts. A North District Forest team, led by Range Officer (Territorial), TW Lachungpa, visited the North jurisdiction at Lum and Lingtyang forests along with the ward panchayat, Tshering Gyatso Lepcha to undertake precautionary measures as the villages of Lum, Lingtyang and Podom of Lower Dzongu could come under risk if the fire enters the North district.
Mr. Lachungpa, while speaking to NOW!, informed that the Ramphok Khola, which falls between these two districts, should work as  fire-break and prevent the fire from entering the North district.
[WANGCHUK BHUTIA]