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Arunachal
Pradesh attained its statehood on 20th February 1987. It is situated in the
North-Eastern part of India with 83743 sq. kms area and has a long
international border with Bhutan to the west (160 km), China to the north and
north-east (1,080 km) and Myanmar to the east (440 km). It stretches from
snow-capped mountains in the north to the plains of Brahmaputra valley in the
south. Arunachal is the largest state area-wise in the north-east region, even
larger than Assam which is the most populous.
Cultural and Historical Background
There are practically no records relating to the earlier history of this area except some oral literature and the number of historical ruins found mainly in the foot hills dating approximately from the early Christian Era. In 1826 the British exercised their control in Assam after the treaty of Yandaboo concluded on 24th February 1826. Before 1962 the Arunachal was popularly called North Eastern Frontier Agency and was constitutionally a part of Assam. It was administered by the Ministry of External Affairs until 1965 and subsequently by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Governor of Assam. In 1972, it was constituted as a Union Territory and renamed Arunachal Pradesh. On 20th February in 1987, it became the 24th state of the Indian Union. Arunachal Pradesh was inhabited by people of tribal origin. These groups had distinct culture. In the 16th century the Ahom Kings influenced the region. The population were of Tibeto-Burmese linguistic origin. The tribe consisted of the Daflas, Bangnis, the Monpas and they were influenced by Buddhist ideals. The Miri along with the Daflas and Tagin lived in the hills. The Apatanis were believed to be more advanced. They were agriculturists. Besides this the Abor who called themselves as Adi lived in the valley of Arunachal Pradesh. Besides them the Membas, Ramos and Boris formed minor groups. The Mishmis exists as Idus, Taraons, and Kamans. They excelled in handicrafts. Today tourism forms an important source of revenue for the state economy. People
Resources and Biodiversity Base
FOREST RESOURCE:
The following table gives the total forest area in all
the forest Division of Arunachal Pradesh.
Source: Arunachal Pradesh Forest Co-operation Ltd. Arunachal Pradesh
MINERAL RESOURCE
Coal occurs in Kameng, Subansiri and Tirap districts. Besides, there are occurrences of Copper ore, Gold and Pyrites in Subansiri, Kameng, Siang and Lohit districts, Dolomite in Kameng district, Graphite in Lohit and Subansiri districts and flux grade limestone in Lohit district. A number of thermal springs are in this state. Occurrences of oil have been reported from Ningru, Kumchai, Kharsang, Manabhum and across the Noa Dithing river in Arunachal Pradesh. Of these, two wells in Ningru and one in DumDuma turned out to be oil producing. Natural gas is also produced in the state. Assat values of the borehole samples from the completed boreholes by GSI in Amritganga Vasundhara block in West Kameng district were marginal. Investigations will be continued by drilling and traverse mapping. OIL (Oil India Limited) has carried out geological survey. It also carried out 60,889 meter drilling for petroleum and natural gas at Kumchai. The value of mineral production in Arunachal Pradesh was Rs. 11 crores in 1997-98 registered a decrease of 30% compared to Rs. 16 crores in the previous year. Petroleum (crude) accounted for 99% of total value of mineral production in Arunachal Pradesh during 1994-95. The value of minor minerals was Rs. 15 lakhs in 1994-95, which was estimated at the level of 1993-94. The details of reserves, location and production of minerals are given below: 1. Coal (Tertiary)
Colour : Black
Chemical composition: Moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon etc.
2. Limestone
Chemical composition: CaO. MgO, R2O3 , AI, Fe2O3 etc. Production details:
3. DolomiteColour :
White
4.
GraphiteMineral available at: Taliha (Subansiri District), Lohit District
and Siang District
5. QuartziteMineral available at:
Kalaktang (Kameng District)
Source: Mineral Year Book 1997, Task Force Report, Ministry of Mines
Agriculture
Source: National Remote Sensing Agency Balanagar, Hyderabad
FISHERY
Fish Production
Fish Production during 1999-2000 (in 000 tonnes) :
2.39 (Provisional)
Pond and Hatchery Details (In Numbers)
Source: Directorate of Fisheries, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
Livestock and Poultry Population (data for 1997)
Source:
Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Arunachal Pradesh
Biodiversity
Arunachal Pradesh is situated between 26o28'
and 29o30' North latitudes and 97o30' and 97o30'
East Longitudes covering an area of 83743 sq. km. Bio-geographically it is
situated fin the Eastern Himalayan province, the richest biogeographically
province of the Himalayan zone. The Nature has been exceedingly kind and has endowed this beautiful State of Arunachal Pradesh with diverse forests and magnificent wildlife. The richness of life forms i.e. the flora & fauna that occur in these forests presents a panorama of biological diversity with over 5000 plants, about 85 terrestrial mammals, over 500 birds and a large number of butterflies, insects and reptiles. Such an unparalleled occurrence of life forms can be attributed to the peculiar location of the State which is at the junction of the Paleoarctic, indo-Chinese, and Indo-Malayan bio-geographic regions , Biotic elements from all these regions occur in this state making it very rich in floral & faunal resources. The vegetation of Arunachal Pradesh falls under four broad climatic categories and can be classified in five broad forest types with a sixth type of secondary forests. These are tropical forests, sub tropical forests, pine forests, temperate forests and alpine forests. In the degraded forests bamboos and other grasses are of common occurrence.
The varied forest types of eastern Himalaya exhibit an
enormous floristic diversity. Apart from large number of timber species, there
are innumerable varieties and kinds of orchids, medicinal plants, ferns,
bamboos, canes, wild relative of large number of our cultivated plants, and even
plants of biological curiosi The State harbours about 52 species of of Rhododendrons, 18 species of Hedychium , 16 species of Qaks, 33 species of Coniters and a large number of fems and lichens. About 500 species of orchids occur in Arunachal Pradesh. These include about 140 species of terrestrial orchids with 15 saprophytes and about 340 epiphytes found in the different forest types. The prominent species are: Cymbidium ansifolium , C, grandiflorum, Coelogyne corymbosa. Dendroblum aphylla, D. fimbriatum var occulatum, D. densiflorum, Calanthe masuca, Phaius flavus, Paphiopedilum. Tairriearum, venustum renanthera imschootiana, vanda coenulea , etc. Rhynchostylis refusa is the state flower of Arunachal pradesh. The vegetation of Arunachal Pradesh falls under four broad climatic categories and can be classified in five broad forest types with a sixth type of secondary forests. These are tropical forests, sub-tropical forests, pine forests, temperate forests and alpine forests.
The fauna of Arunachal Pradesh is equally rich with as
many as 25 species of mammals included in Schedule – I of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972. Arunachal Pradesh is perhaps the only State which has four major cats, i.e. tiger (Panthera tigris), leopard (Panthera pardus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) and snow leopard (Panthera uncia). Lesser cats like the golden cat, leopard cat and the marbled cat are also found here. Seven species of primates i.e. hoolock gibbon, slow loris, Assamese macaque, rhesus macaque, pig-tailed macaque, stump-tailed macaque, and capped langur also occur in the forests of the State. This is the only state where all the 3 goat antelopes occurring in India, i.e. serow, goral and takin are found. The highly endangered hispid hare (caprolagus hispidus) is also found in low grassy areas of the State. Among the smaller mammals several Rodents (squirrel, porcupine and rats), Civets, mongoose, linsang, shrew and bat species are also to be found. On higher elevations, animals like goral, Himalayan black bear, red panda, are met with in various parts of the State. Over 500 bird species inhabit Arunachal Pradesh including some endangered and endemic ones like, white winged wood duck, Sclater’s Monal, Temmincks Tragopan, black necked crane, Mishmi wren and Bengal florican. The 'Mithun' (Bos Frontails) exist both in wild and semi-domesticated form. This animal has religious significance and intimate relation with socio-cultural life of the people. Traditionally, the mithun is a unit of wealth and is allowed to move freely in jungle till it is either used for food on festive occasions and marriage feasts, or for barter. Arunachal Pradesh is also the happy home of the great Indian Hornbills-the set extraordinary bird with an inordinately large beak which is also the State bird.The white winged wood duck, a rare endangered species, has been sheltered in Namdapha National Park. Namdapha sanctuary was upgraded to the status of National park in 1983. This is the richest State for pheasants, with some ten species occupying different altitudes from the plains to the snowy heights. The State also abounds in a variety of reptiles, amphibians, pisces and innumerable species of butterflies, moths, beetles and other insects. There are two national parks and nine wild life sanctuaries in the State managed by the forest department.
Namdapha National Park is located in the
Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh on the India Burmese border a few km
from the entry point, Miau. It was designated as a National Park in 1983 under
the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The park watered by the Noa- Dehing and the Namdapha rivers, is largely inaccessible, with diverse habitats of flora and fauna. The vegetation ranges from the wet evergreen tropical and sub-tropical forests to temperate and alpine forests. A variety of wild tree species and crop plants including banana, mango, citrus and medicinal and ornamental plants including wild orchids are found here. The inaccessibility has helped the forests to retain its pristine ness. The fauna of the park comprises elephant, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, golden cat, wild dog, endangered Hoolock gibbon, Namdapha Flying Squirrel, wild buffalo, guar, hog deer, sloth bear, bison, Himalayan Tahr, Bharal, python, King cobra, , the wild goats; takin peculiar to the Patkoi range, Serow and Goral etc. The park is rich in bird life. The important birds are Indian Horn bill, the state bird of Arunachal, white winged wood duck, cheer pheasants etc. The park is unique in its altitude, which varies around 200 metres (nearly sea level) in the valleys to more than 4,500 metres of snow covered mountain peaks. Perhaps no other national park in the world can boast of such phenomenal altitudinal variation. The park is also ideal for trekking and hiking. From Miau the entry point, a forest road stretching over 28-km gives access to the protected area up to a place called Deban where accommodation is available. Beyond this there is no road and one has to go on foot. It is a challenging trek through dense forests and steep hill ranges with rivers flowing in between and the varying climatic conditions from tropical to cold and temperate conditions
This park is located in West Siang District of
Arunachal Pradesh.
Wildlife sanctuaries :
A brief description about the wildlife sanctuaries is presented below
Tawang
Parashuram Kund
Parasuram kund is located 13 miles north-east of
Tezu,District Headquaters of
Bhismaknagar
It is located in Dibang Valley district and is a sacred heritage of the Idu Mishmis. It is a symbol of past glory and indicate the high standard of civilisation that once prevailed around Bhismaknagar. Bhismaknagar must have been a strong hold of the Chutiyas (12th-16th centuries) but the excavations has been throwing new light on its much earlier antiquities. Bhismaknagar stands for what is best in the tribal and Aryans way of life. It speaks for the Catholic spirit of the ancient Indians and the contribution made by the Idus to the synthetic fabric of Indian culture. Today Bhismaknagar has become the nucleus of a renaisance a determination of a sturdy race to revive its traditional culture, while accepting everything that is progressive
Malinithan
Malinithan is a temple site in ruins. It is
situated at the foot of the Siang hills under the Likabali Sub-Division of West
Siang District of Arunachal Pradesh. It is only 1 Km east of Likabali, the
nearest administrative centre. Relics of stone images of Malinithan came to be
noted from the early twenties of the present century. In course of series of
excavation from 1968 and ending 1971, ruins of temples and valuable scriptures
were unearthed at this site. The fame of Malinithan as a holy place of worship d The site excavated has beautifully designed and decorated basement of a temple, divine images, icons of deities, animal motifs and floral designs, carved columns and panels. These rich granite sculptures belong to 14 -15 century , the more important being Indra on Airavat, Surya on Chariot and huge Nandi bull. The temple dedicated to Goddess Durga at Malinithan is built on the classical tradition of Orissa. According to the local legend associated with the place, Lord Krishna carried away Rukmini the daughter of King Bhismaka on the eve of her marriage with Shishupal. Krishna and Rukmini were welcomed here by Parvati with garlands. Parvati thus acquired the name Malini and the place Malinithan.
Akashiganga Akashiganga is believed to be associated with the legend of Parvati narrated in the 8th century Kalika Purana. It is said that Lord Shankar roamed in the sky with the dead body of Parvati (Sati). To bring him out of attachment for the dead body Lord Vishnu using his 'Sudarshan Chakra' cut the body into pieces. During this process it is said that one of the body piece fell in the area which is 12 Km from Malinithan towards Along in West Siang District. This place is called Akashi Ganga and is very popular as a sacred place. There is a temple near the road. From there one has to go down 100 meters down through a spiral path, where a sparkling object can be seen in the 'Kund' but on going more down the object is invisible. Devotees take bath in this kund. The place also provides a magnificent bird's eye view of the Brahmaputra river glimmering far below. Namdapha Located in the Changlang
district, Namdapha is famous for its wild life
For the truly dedicated wilderness and
wildlife fan, a visit to the Namdapha National Park is challenging, covering a
wide range of altitudes from 200 mtrs. to 4,500 mtrs. The park largely
inaccessible, has diverse habitats and flora and fauna that are typical of this
area. The majestic gaur or mithun, elephant, Himalayan black bear, takin, the
wild goat peculiar to the Patkoi range, musk deer, slow loris, binturong and the
red panda are all found
A number if primate species are seen in the park, such as Assamese macaque, pig-tailed macaque and the distinctive hoolock gibbon, Hornbills, jungle fowl and pheasnats flap their noisy way through the jungle, which harbours other colourful bird species. The inacessibility of the greater part of the park has helped to keep the forests in their pristine state. Itanagar Itanagar has been the capital of Arunachal Pradesh since 20th April 1974. Itanagar is situated at the foothills. The township is situated at 350 metres above mean sea level. It comes administratively under Papumpare district. The Nishis or Nishings is the major tribe in Itanagar area. However, Itanagar can be called as mini India, as people from all over the country, live here in harmony. As a capital town, Itanagar is well connected with the rest of the country by road and air communications. Pawan Hans provides helicopter service between Guwahati and Naharlagun(Itanagar). Deluxe buses are available from Guwahati. Itanagar is the capital of India's largest North Eastern state. Here one can find historical fort called Itafort, dating back to the 14-15 centuries, after which it is named. The capital houses the Rajbhawan , the official residence of the Governor has also many worth visiting places in and around Itanagar. These include legendary Ganga Lake (Gyakar Sinyi). It is a beautiful picnic spot, 6 kms away from Itanagar, a green forest lake surrounded by primeval vegetation, orchids masses on tall trees, tree ferns provides a small taste of the magnificent forests of the state. Jawaharlal Nehru State Museum provid Itanagar has been identified with Mayapur, the capital of the 11th century AD JItri dynasty Bomdila Bomdila is a beautiful small town situated at a height of about 8000 ft. above the sea level from where one can see the brilliant landscape and snow-clad mountains of the Himalayan Range. The Buddhist monastery of Bomdila is the repository of culture and is among primary attractions of the area.
Bomdila is the headquarters of West Kameng district located at the height of
8500 ft above the sea level. It has a lot of attractions for the tourists with
its cool climate, Apple orchards, artistic people, snow-capped Himalayan peaks
and Buddhist Gompas. The Buddhist monastery of Bomdila is the repository of
culture.. This place has a tourist lodge, a craft centre displaying local
crafts and a shopping centre where the visitors gets first feel of the local
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The
same year, it was also declared as tiger reserve under Project Tiger. With a
total area of 1985 sq kms, this is the largest national park in the north-east
and one of the larger protected areas in the country. In fact, this was among
the earliest national parks established in the seven states of north-east
India. 
It
covers an area of about 500 Sq.Km. The forest of the park is semi evergreen
type. The area is famous for three varieties of goat -antelopes, locally known
as takin, coral and serow. The other fauna found in the park are wild buffalo,
tiger, panther, red panda, elephant, hog dear, barking deer, sambar, python etc.
Besides it, the park has many birds including different types of Pheasants.
Ideal for trekking, hiking and angling at river Siyom.
raws
a large number of visitors and piligrims.
here.
The predators include the tiger, leopard, the rare snow leopard and clouded
leopard in the higher reaches of the hills. The white winged wood duck a rare
and endagered
es
a kaleidoscope of Arunachal Pradesh and one can see wood carvings, musical
instruments, textiles, handicrafts and archeological finds, while a workshop in
the Handicrafts Centre specializes in traditional cane manufacture. It has a
library section also Other important places of interest around Itanagar is Donyi-Polo
Vidya Bhawan a Premier Publics School, North-Eastern Regional Institute of
Science and Technology(Nirjuli) - a engineering insitute providing innovative
way of education, Arunachal University (Doimukh) and Government Piggery and
Poultry Farm (Nirjuli), Indira Gandhi Park.