A key water source feeding Wokha town has begun to dry up, with the town’s historic Etsu-Cukha well – used for more than a century – running dry even before the onset of the dry season, triggering fresh concerns over water security and the long-term sustainability of the district headquarters.
The alarm was raised during a review meeting held on Thursday by Achumbemo Kikon, MLA and Secretary General of the Naga People’s Front (NPF), who is also the Chairperson of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly Committee on Climate Change, with officials of the district administration and the Wokha Town Council (WTC).
Officials from the Deputy Commissioner’s office informed the meeting that discharge from the Mt Tiyi water source, which supplies Wokha town, has significantly reduced.
The WTC reported that the Etsu-Cukha well, a traditional community water source relied upon by residents for generations, has dried up for the first time in living memory, attributing the depletion to deforestation in the catchment area and unregulated extraction of groundwater through borewells.
Following the meeting, Kikon and officials visited the Etsu-Cukha well, where residents confirmed that the well had never dried up this early in the year. During the British period, the well was known as the “Elite Well” due to its use by colonial officials and was long regarded as a dependable source of water for the town.
Terming the situation “alarming,” Kikon stressed the need for a scientific assessment of the water source and immediate measures to protect the catchment area. He identified afforestation as a critical intervention, stating that increasing green cover was essential for groundwater recharge and ecological balance.
As an immediate step, the meeting resolved that each member of the Town Council would personally plant and nurture at least 20 saplings, a move aimed at ensuring accountability rather than symbolic plantation drives. Kikon also proposed workshops and awareness programmes on climate change and environmental protection, along with segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste to reduce environmental stress on the fragile ecosystem.
Calling upon the Town Council to discourage random drilling of borewells and promote responsible water usage, the MLA urged that a massive plantation drive be initiated even before World Environment Day.
The discussions were noted to be in line with the recent Climate Conference held in Kohima, where legislators deliberated on climate resilience in the Northeast. At the conference, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh had warned that climate change was emerging as one of the most pressing challenges for the region, calling for a holistic, community-based approach that integrates indigenous knowledge, sustainable planning, and responsible resource management.
Kikon also urged the Forest Department to extend full cooperation in plantation and catchment protection efforts, warning that without immediate intervention, water stress in Wokha could intensify in the coming months.