Phek District
District of Nagaland
Kapamüdzü Peak in Phek District
Nickname:  Land of Tradition
Phek District in Nagaland
Coordinates: 25°40′N 94°28′E / 25.667°N 94.467°E / 25.667; 94.467
Country	India
State	Nagaland
Headquarters	Phek
Government
• Lok Sabha Constituency	Nagaland
• MP[1]	Tokheho Yepthomi, NDPP
• Assembly constituencies	5 constituencies
• Deputy Commissioner[2]	Kuko Mero
Area [3]
• Total	2,026 km2 (782 sq mi)
Elevation	1,524 m (5,000 ft)
Population  (2011)[3]
• Total	163,418
• Density	81/km2 (210/sq mi)
Demographics
• Literacy[3]	78.05%
• Sex ratio[3]	951 ♀/ 1000 ♂
Languages
• Official	English
• Spoken	Chokri, Kheza, English, Nagamese, Pochuri
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	NL-08
Major highways	NH 29 NH 202 NH 702A
Website	phek.nic.in

Phek District (pron:/ˈfɛk/) is a district in the Indian state of Nagaland. At 2,026 square kilometres (782 sq mi), the district is the seventh-most populous district in Nagaland and 596th most populous district in India with 163,418 inhabitants.^[3] The district is home to 8.26% population of Nagaland. The district headquarter is located at Phek, 120 kilometres from Kohima, the capital of Nagaland and the largest urban centre is Pfütsero.^[4]

History

Phek District was established in 1973 when it was carved out of the erstwhile Kohima District. The name Phek comes from the word Phekrekedze, meaning watchtower. The Government of Nagaland approved Phek as a full-fledged district on 19 December 1973.^[4] The district has 14 subdivisions, namely, Pfütsero, Phek Sadar, Chetheba, Chozuba, Meluri, Chizami, Sekrüzu, Razieba, Sakraba, Zuketsa, Phor, Khuza, Khezhakeno and Phokhungri.^[5][3]

Geography

Phek District is a mountainous region rich in flora and fauna with 70% of its land covered in evergreen forest. The highest mountain is Zanibu, with the summit over 2,400 m (7,900 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL).^[3] The district HQ town of Phek lies at the lowest altitude of the district at 1,524m above sea level, with the town of Pfütsero at the highest point 2,136m above.^[6][7]

The largest rivers of the district are the Tizu, Lanyi, Arachu, and the three most important lakes are the Shilloi, Chida and Dzüdü.^[4] As of 2002^[update], of its 89 recognized villages, twelve were not accessible by road at all, and of the rest, only 24 were accessible by "all-weather roads". Only 9 of the 89 villages were still to be connected to the water supply.^[6]

Avakhung International Border Checkpost, also known as Avankhu in Phek district of Nagaland, is an International Border Checkpost on India–Myanmar barrier and a highway is being developed as part of the Bharatmala project (2017-2022).^[8]

Climate

The summers are moderately warm with the average temperature being 27 °C without exceeding 32 °C. Monsoon starts towards the end of May and is over by the end of September. Winters are cold, in comparison to the nearby plains of Assam, with the temperature dropping to 0 °C in the coldest months of January and February.^[9]

The average annual rainfall is 1,527 mm.^[9]

Administration

The Deputy Commissioner's office is located in Phek. The current Deputy Commissioner of the district is Razouvolie Dozo.^[2] The district is split into 14 administrative circles, in which Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) headquarters are located in Pfütsero, Chozuba and Meluri.^[3] A Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) is located in Chizami and Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) headquarters are located in Sakraba, Sekrüzu, Phokhungri, Khezhakeno, Chetheba, Khuza, Zuketsa, Phor, Lephory and Razeba.^[7]

Demographics

As of 2011^[update] the 2011 census Phek district has a population of 163,418, roughly equal to the nation of Saint Lucia.^[11] This gives it a ranking of 596th in India (out of a total of 640). Phek has a sex ratio of 951 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 78.05%.

The district is the home of the Chakhesang and Pochury tribes.^[4]

Religion

Christianity is the religion of 97% of the inhabitants. Other religions followed are Hinduism by 2% of the population, Islam by 0.6%, Buddhism by 0.2%, and a few Jains and Sikhs.

Languages

The following Angami–Pochuri languages are spoken in Phek district.

• Chokri language
• Kuzhami language
• Pochuri language
• Poula language

Culture

The festivals of Sükhrünyie, Yemshe, Tsükhrünyie and Nazhü are celebrated in Phek District.^[7]

Towns and villages

As of 2011^[update] the 2011 census, the district holds two towns, Phek and Pfütsero, and 117 villages, divided into fourteen admin circles as follows:

Government and politics

The district has five Vidhan Sabha Constituences, namely, Pfütsero, Chizami, Chozuba, Phek and Meluri. The last elections were held in 2018. The next legislative assembly election will be held in 2023.

As part of Lok Sabha, Phek district is part of the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2019 Indian general election, Tokheho Yepthomi of the NDPP won by 16,000 votes over his rival K.L. Chishi of the Indian National Congress.^[1] The next general election is in 2024.

Economy

Agriculture is the main occupation with Terrace Rice Cultivation (TRC) as the most predominant throughout Phek district. Shifting cultivation or Jhum Cultivation is a common practice.^[4] Important crops produced in the district include rice, maize and millet.^[7]

Manufacturing here includes production of salt in Meluri, fruit juice production, weaving, bamboo and wood carving.^[4]

Health

The healthcare sector comprises one hospital, two community health centres and eight primary health centres.^[6]

Education

The education sector comprises 116 primary schools, 46 middle schools, 18 high schools plus one higher secondary school, and three colleges.^[6] The literacy rate of the district is 78.05%.^[3]

Colleges

• Baptist Theological College, Pfütsero
• District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Phek
• Pfutsero Government College, Pfütsero
• Phek Government College, Phek

Tourism

Phek District has numerous tourist attractions to visit and explore. Below are few of the tourist attractions in the district:^[4][12]

Lake Shilloi

Shilloi, also referred to as The Lake of Spirits. It is the largest natural lake in Nagaland.^[13]

Kapamüdzü

Kapamüdzü, standing at 2,620 metres (8,600 ft)^[14] is the highest table top mountain in Nagaland.

Khezhakeno

Khezhakeno Village is considered to be the ancestral home of many Naga ethnic groups.^[15]

Glory Peak

Glory Peak (2,600 metres (8,500 ft)) is a peak located in Pfütsero, the highest altitude settlement in Nagaland.^[16]

Rüzazho

Subhas Chandra Bose made Rüzazho the operational base of his Indian National Army (INA) during the World War II, when he liberated Mizoram and parts of Nagaland from the colonial British control with the help of Japanese forces. He stayed here for 10 days and recruited more than thousand natives of Nagaland in INA to fight against British, British Indian rupee was banned and Japanese rupee (1942–44) was introduced. "The house in which Netaji lived and the wooden cot on which he slept during his stay in Nagaland are preserved at Rüzazho Village. The love and respect for Netaji are reflected in the local folklore and songs."^[17] The village and the operation base of Netaji Subhash is a pilgrimage and tourism site for Indian patriots and history buffs.

Terapimithu

Terapimithu is a peak standing at 2,232 metres (7,323 ft)

Transportation

Air

The nearest airport is Dimapur Airport in Nagaland located 193 kilometres from district headquarters Phek. There is a helipad in Phek as well.

Rail

The nearest railway station is Chümoukedima Shokhüvi Railway Station located 200 kilometres from the district headquarters at Phek.

Road

The district is well-connected with roads. The NH 29, NH 202 and NH 702A passes through the district alongside other intra-district roads.