Nagaland Officials Address Border Oil Drilling and Clashes

Kohima: Nagaland MLA Achumbemo Kikon challenged the government on September 3 over reports of unauthorized oil drilling in the Disputed Area Belt. He cited a formal protest from the Yanmhon Area Public Organisation regarding ONGC activity near Lio Woka Oil, located just 500 metres from Hayiyan village in the Wokha district. Kikon demanded an immediate halt to all work until authorities verify whether the project complies with the tripartite agreement between Nagaland, Assam, and the federal government.

He warned that unchecked extraction threatens local resources. Kikon also pressed the Assembly on security concerns following an August 25 altercation at the Mekirang border, where the Assam Forest Department blocked villagers transporting government-supplied rubber saplings. Two village leaders and an official from the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation were reportedly attacked during a subsequent standoff on August 26. Police filed a formal case at the Bhandari station on August 27.

Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton acknowledged the friction. He confirmed that officials from Wokha and Golaghat districts met to restore order and pledged to revive the Border Level Peace Committee. Regarding the volatile region, Patton noted that a joint eviction drive on August 8, 2025, cleared 146 of 205 households, while the Gauhati High Court protected the remaining residents with a 60-day stay on August 18, 2026. Addressing the Assembly, he stated, "The situation is now under control." The government intends to prevent further unilateral actions by maintaining direct communication with Assam officials.

Updated at 4th September 2026 at 5:46am

Kikon stated that ONGC, backed by the Assam government, has already identified specific drilling points in the area. He submitted supporting documents and newspaper reports to the Assembly, arguing that the situation is volatile because civil society groups and former freedom fighters remain deeply suspicious of the Tripartite MoU, fearing modern extraction methods like inclined drilling could tap into resources beneath Naga land.

Patton clarified that the August 25 scuffle was defused after Border Magistrates verified the rubber saplings were intended for Longayim village, not the disputed site. He confirmed that the subsequent attack on the two village leaders and the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation official occurred when they crossed paths with protesters from the Assam side near the barricade. The Wokha district administration has since advised villagers to provide advance notice of any activities to the Border Magistrate to coordinate safe passage.

Regarding the 59 households facing eviction, Patton noted the land sits within Sector D of the Doyang Reserve Forest, an area claimed by Mekirang, Longayim, and Lio-Longchum villages. He added that the state is pressing for formal mechanisms to ensure that all future eviction or plantation efforts involve joint action rather than unilateral moves by either state.

Updated at 4th September 2026 at 9:48am

Kikon brought physical evidence to the Assembly floor, submitting documents and press reports alleging that ONGC, with the Assam government's backing, has already scouted and marked specific drilling sites. He warned that the tension is fueled by deep-seated distrust among Naga civil society and former freedom fighters, who fear that modern extraction techniques like inclined drilling could bleed resources from under their land despite the existing Tripartite MoU.

Patton explained that the August 25 border scuffle was defused once Border Magistrates verified that the controversial rubber saplings were earmarked for Longayim village rather than the contested eviction site. He noted that the following day's violence, which targeted the two village leaders and the LLRPO official, ignited when they accidentally crossed paths with protesters from the Assam side near the barricade. District officials have now instructed local villagers to clear all movements through the Border Magistrate to ensure safe passage.

Regarding the remaining 59 families facing eviction, Patton clarified that the target land sits squarely within Sector D of the Doyang Reserve Forest, an area claimed by Mekirang, Longayim, and Lio-Longchum villages. The government is now pushing for a formal mechanism to block unilateral moves by either state, ensuring that any future plantation efforts or eviction drives require joint coordination.