Wokha and Tseminyu districts faced days-long blackout due to a faulty transmission line at Sanis sub-station and failed backup systems.
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WOKHA — Wokha and Tseminyu districts were plunged into darkness for over 48 hours beginning March 13, with power supply only partially restored on the third day, even as the Lotha Hoho expressed displeasure over the prolonged outage and sought urgent corrective measures from the department.
Executive Engineer (Electrical), Wokha Division, Chenosing Kemp, told Eastern Mirror that the blackout was triggered by a fault in the transmission line at Sanis sub-station.
He explained that the situation worsened as the alternate Kohima transmission line has remained non-functional since last year after a pole collapsed at Longsa village near a stone crusher site.
“With great effort, the main line was partially restored after two days and fully restored by March 17,” Kemp said, adding that fresh disruptions occurred on March 18 after falling trees damaged the Chukitong Range 33 KV line conductor, which was later repaired.
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According to him, while partial restoration in Wokha was achieved within two days, Tseminyu district took up to four days for supply to resume.
Several distribution points, including Tsumang power station and Neriopen, were also affected due to storm-related damage.
Highlighting systemic challenges, Kemp pointed to ageing infrastructure and manpower shortages.
“Our infrastructures are so old and worn out that they give the staff a hard time,” he said, adding that staff shortages persist across Nagaland.
He further explained that Wokha and Tseminyu are designed to receive power through two 132 KV lines—one from Kohima and another from Sanis via Doyang–Mokokchung.
However, with the Kohima line defunct since last year, the districts have been solely dependent on the Sanis line.
“When Sanis developed a fault, the alternative remained helpless,” he said, while expressing hope that restoration of the Kohima line would prevent similar outages in future. He added that the matter falls under the Transmission Division.
Meanwhile, the Lotha Hoho criticised the department for what it described as a “prolonged irregular power supply and total blackout” lasting nearly a week across the district, severely disrupting daily life, student activities, and business operations.
Although parts of Wokha town received intermittent supply, most areas remained without electricity, it stated in a press release.
The apex Lotha organisation also highlighted that the outage compounded an ongoing water crisis in Wokha town, where supply has remained disrupted for over two months, rendering submersible pumps non-functional.
Questioning the failure of backup systems, it stated that despite the presence of double feeder transmission lines at Sanis and Wokha—meant to ensure uninterrupted supply—the district continued to face extended outages.
Among its demands, the Lotha Hoho called for ensuring uninterrupted power supply, maintaining standby transformers for emergencies, and preventing recurrence of such prolonged blackouts.
It further pointed out that Wokha hosts the Doyang Hydro Electric Project, which generates 75 MW of electricity, and ranks among the top districts (third) in revenue collection, asserting that the district deserves reliable power supply.
The organisation urged the department to take immediate corrective measures, warning that repeated failures continue to adversely affect the lives and livelihoods of the people.