Residents Face Hardship Due to Extremely Limited Electricity Supply in Myitkyina

Pajau Media

January 29, 2026

Residents of Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State, say they are facing serious difficulties as electricity supply hours have become extremely limited, with power outages lasting much longer than supply periods.

A male resident of Myitkyina said that this situation of reduced electricity supply and prolonged outages has been ongoing since the beginning of 2026.

“This year it has gotten worse. In a whole day, electricity comes for only about two or three hours. Even then, it usually comes after 11 p.m., when people are already asleep, and goes out again before 5 a.m. During normal cooking hours, electricity doesn’t even come once a week,” he said.

Due to the limited electricity supply, ordinary middle income households and daily wage workers who cannot afford to install solar power systems are facing significant hardships. In addition, firewood and charcoal, used as alternatives to electricity have become expensive, further worsening the situation, according to local residents.

“Electricity comes only once every two days. For people running businesses, this is very inconvenient. If we try to use alternatives to electricity, fuel prices are also very high, so it’s not affordable,” another male resident said.

Furthermore, students and daily workers who need to go to school or work are also facing difficulties charging electric motorcycles due to frequent and prolonged power cuts.

Starting from January 19, authorities announced that the electricity supply system in Myitkyina would be operated under a rotational schedule. The city has been divided into four sections- A, B, C, and D with each section receiving electricity for eight hours followed by a 24bhour power outage under the rotation system.

News: Zaw