Country India District Mokokchung Vehicle registration NL Local time Thursday 12:56 AM | State Nagaland Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) Website nagaland.gov.in | |
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Mokokchung Metropolitan Area is a major urban agglomeration in Mokokchung district in the Indian state of Nagaland, with Mokokchung town as its main urban hub. Also known as Alichen-Mokokchung-DEF agglomeration, it is a string of continuous settlements from Alichen in the south, through Mokokchung town up to Amenyong and Khensa in the North West; and from Mokokchung town through Fazl Ali College up to DEF colony in the North East.
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Geography and climate
The metro area is a hilly one with altitude between 1000–1500 metres above sea level. Mokokchung is located at an altitude of 1325m while Alichen, the southernmost suburb is at an altitude of 1000m. Due to its altitude, Mokokchung metro enjoys a pleasant climate throughout the year, though winters are chilly. The area receives an annual rainfall of around 200 cm on an average.
History and recent trends
The trend of sub urbanization in Mokokchung ( which had started in Western countries in the sixties) started in the eighties with the mushrooming of satellite towns like Yimyu and Marepkong. Today, the urban settlement has spilled outside the historical boundary of Mokokchung town. This trend has speeded up (since the late nineties) so much so that the erstwhile satellite town of Yimyu boomed and spread towards Mokokchung and became conjoined with it. Today it has become a ward of Mokokchung. As a result of this flight to the suburbs, population growth in Mokokchung town (the area under the municipality comprising the fifteen wards) has slowed down while the satellite towns are booming.
People are now living miles away from the main town in smaller suburbs as well as villages, who drive to work daily to the main town. This phenomenon is in sharp contrast to other towns in Nagaland like Kohima, Wokha and Zunheboto where an overwhelming majority of the population tend to be concentrated in the main town ( i.e. the area under the municipality).
The main satellite towns/ suburbs of Mokokchung
Besides, the following villages have been engulfed by the spiralling urban spread of Mokokchung and have acquired urban characteristics. In fact, though not part of the municipality, they have become very much a part of Mokokchung and are confused by many tourists as being localities of the town.