Watch: Why the Northeast has been demanding a separate timezone

Simran Taneja • September 1, 2017, 12:52:42 IST

By the time the working day begins in northeast India on the longest day of the year, the sun is already high in the sky and the heat is nearing its peak.

Watch: Why the Northeast has been demanding a separate timezone

For India’s northeastern states, by the time work begins, the sun is already high and the heat nearing its peak. This is because clocks across India are set to follow Indian Standard Time.

Indian Standard Time is decided upon the centrally located 82.5°E longitude near Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. India measures 2,933 kms from west to east and about 29-30 longitudes pass though the country.

Pre-independence, the British Raj divided the territory into three time zones — Bombay Time, Calcutta Time and Madras time. Besides these, there existed a separate “Tea Garden Time”, locally known as “bagaan” time. In relation to current Indian Standard Time, “bagaan” time is an hour ahead, and currently only observed by tea plantation workers in Assam, because they can work independently and capitalise on daylight hours to maximise productivity.

IST was introduced when India gained independence from Britain. But in the Northeast, many believe it makes little sense. The northeastern states share borders with China, Myanmar, Bhutan and Bangladesh, all ahead of Indian time.

Proponents of a different time zone for Northeast say it is likely to improve efficiency, save electricity and let people lead a lifestyle that suits the region. However, different union governments have dismissed the demand, saying that the amount of energy lost is not substantial enough for a separate time zone. Other arguments claim that it will lead to a lack of coordination between various parts of the country, especially when it comes to seamless running of the railways.

In March, the Guwahati High Court dismissed a PIL demanding an official change in north eastern time zone. More recently, on 12 June, 2017, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called for a separate time zone for the North East. Currently, according to Indian Standard Time, the sun rises at 4 am in the region. This means that workers of the region are compelled to wait for 3 to 4 hours until working hours across the country begin.