Several villages under the Longnak electrical sub-division in Mokokchung district have faced unstable electricity since the first week of January 2026, disrupting daily life, education and essential services, residents and officials said on March 4. Changki and neighbouring villages such as Longnak, Satsukba and Puneboto have been the worst affected, local leaders said.
“We have not had proper electricity for the past two months,” said Tsüpongtsüngba Changkiri, chairman of the Changki Village Council, who said the council has submitted applications and raised the matter with the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). He said power was available for only about eight days in January, including four days during the church’s quasquicentennial celebration, after which supply again failed.
Changkiri said a transformer brought to restore power during the Changki–Tai Ahom cultural connect on February 9–10 developed faults soon after. Another transformer arrived last week but officials initially struggled to complete the installation. After fitting a second-hand unit, electricity briefly returned on a Tuesday night but lasted only minutes before it was cut again due to disturbances in the village line; the supplying transformer is located in Longnak.
To cope, many households have bought generators or installed solar panels, and generators are being used in rotation to recharge inverters, Changkiri said. The cost of fuel and maintenance has added financial strain. Schools and health centres, he added, are particularly vulnerable because their inverters have failed and they cannot afford solar installations.
The village church has become an informal charging hub. “Repairs took almost a month, and after that in February it was almost the same again. The power came back for about a week and then the same problem happened again,” said Toshi Jamir, youth director of the church. He said the church’s generators allowed it to offer limited assistance, with worshippers charging phones during services.
At the Government High School in Changki, teacher Wapong Changkiri said lack of power is hampering official work. “We are required to give daily attendance through the SMILE app using a tablet in the school, but the device is dead because the inverter is not working,” he said. Preparations for HSLC examinations were affected, and the school’s generator — primarily kerosene-run and now scarce — overheats after 10–15 minutes on petrol.
Er Arenlong, SDO (Electrical), Longnak sub-division, said damaged transformers have been replaced and supply restored to other feeders, but the Changki feeder line remains faulty and linemen are conducting checks. He confirmed the current transformer is not brand new but in “first-class condition,” and said an emergency replacement reached the area on February 26. Technical teams from Dimapur are working on breakers and substation repairs; Arenlong said once that work is completed “the issues will become negligible.” Villagers say they remain hopeful for a lasting fix.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/from-schools-to-health-centres-power-disruption-impact-life-in-longnak-sub-div
Category: Morung Exclusive , Nagaland
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Publish Date: 2026-03-04 23:07:00
