Nagaland boasts high mobile & road connectivity but struggles with public transport: Survey

June 21, 2024 8 Views No Comment

Moa Jamir
Dimapur | June 21

All 1,285 villages in Nagaland have access to mobile facilities, and only a single village lacks road connectivity, but access to public transport is abysmally low, a government survey has revealed.

There are also gaps in medical facilities, educational institutions and other amenities, revealed the comprehensive survey on Village Level Development Indicators (VLDI), conducted by the Directorate of Economics and Statistics Department, covering all 11 districts, 74 blocks, and 1,285 recognised villages.

Capturing data as of March 31, 2023, the “Survey on Local Level Statistics Report 2023,” recently made available to the public, aimed to collect, collate, and disseminate information on the availability of major basic amenities in the villages of Nagaland, as per the department.

High Electricity & Road Connectivity

As per the survey, Nagaland has achieved near-universal electrification, with 1,280 out of 1,285 villages (99.5 percent) having access to electricity.

Only five villages in the state lack electricity: Aopao Chingle village under Aboi block, Yeangmai village under Tobu block, Ukha Lamoang under Angjangyang block of Mon district, Ronren village under Wokha block of Wokha district, and Tsonzunphen village under Tseminyu Block.

Road connectivity is similarly high, with only Khaha village in Khongsa block of Kiphire district lacking road access, resulting in 99.9 percent of villages being connected by roads.

Public Transport & Communication

Despite widespread road connectivity, the survey highlighted very low availability of public transport. Only 85 villages (6.6 percent) have access to government bus services. In the absence of public service, private buses serve 271 villages (21 percent).

Private taxis fill the gap, with 944 villages (73.46 percent) relying on taxi services. All villages are covered by mobile network services, ensuring communication accessibility.

However, landline facilities are present in just 66 villages (5.14 percent), and only 509 villages (39.6 percent) have postal services.

Further, only 76 villages (5.9 percent) have access to fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) internet connectivity. Common service centres (CSCs) are available in 158 villages (12.3 percent).

Education and Medical Facilities

The survey highlighted significant gaps in educational and medical facilities. While 89.5 percent of villages have government primary schools, the presence of higher educational institutions is much lower.

Only 51 percent have government middle schools, and a mere 19.63 percent have government high schools. Government higher secondary schools are available in only 25 villages (1.9 percent), and just three villages (0.23 percent) have government colleges.

Medical facilities are equally sparse. Only two villages have dispensaries, 520 villages (40.50 percent) have sub-centres (SCs), and 137 villages (10.6 percent) have primary health centres (PHCs). Community health centres (CHCs) are present in just 19 villages (1.4 percent), and only 29 villages (2.2 percent) have private clinics or hospitals.

However, it must be noted that in the four-tier public health system, the SCs, PHCs, and CHCs are provided at different levels of villages, subdivisions, and blocks, with district hospitals at the top.

Low Financial Inclusion and Other Amenities

Additional amenities showed varied availability across the state. As per the survey, only 23 villages (1.79 percent) have access to bank and ATM (Automated Teller Machine) facilities.

Further, government veterinary health centres cover only 120 villages (9.3 percent). Indoor stadiums are also rare, found in only 60 villages (4.67 percent).

Again, only 33 villages (2.8 percent) had police stations while police beat posts are present in 37 villages (2.5 percent).

However, village council halls and playground facilities are available in 1,165 villages (90.7 percent) and 1,137 villages (88.5 percent), respectively.

Besides, marketing sheds are present in 492 villages (38.3 percent), and Anganwadi centres are located in 1,225 villages (95.40 percent).

Fair price shops are available in 1,243 villages (96.8 percent), and PHED water supply facilities cover 1,213 villages (94 percent).

Public toilet facilities are available in 777 villages (60.5 percent). About 95.7 percent of villages (1,230 villages) have self-help groups (SHGs), and street light facilities are present in 595 villages (46 percent).

Source: https://morungexpress.com/nagaland-boasts-high-mobile-road-connectivity-but-struggles-with-public-transport-survey