East Kameng district | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of East Kameng district | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Headquarters | Seppa |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,134 km2 (1,596 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 78,690[1] |
| • Density | 19.03/km2 (49.30/sq mi) |
| Demographics | |
| • Literacy | 62.5%[1] |
| • Sex ratio | 1012[1] |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 (IST) |
| Website | eastkameng |
East Kameng district is one ofdistricts of Arunachal Pradesh state in northeastern,India. It shares an international border with China in the north and district borders withWest Kameng district to the west,Pakke-Kessang district to the south,Kurung Kumey district to the east,Papum Pare district to the southeast. Pakke-Kessang district was bifurcated from East Kameng district on 1 December 2018.
The area around theKameng river has at various times come under the control and influence of theMon kingdom; TibetAka andNishi chiefs would exert control over the area whenever no major political powers dominated the area.
The Kameng Frontier Division was renamed the Kameng District. The Political Officer was also redesignated as the Deputy Commissioner of Kameng. The Kameng district was bifurcated between East Kameng andWest Kameng on 1 June 1980.[2]
Before the bifurcation, East Kameng district occupied an area of 4,134 square kilometres (1,596 sq mi)[3][4] LikeWest Kameng, the East Kameng climate ranges from arid in thetundra of the north through a cool temperate climate to a humid subtropical climate in the southern sub-himalayan hills borderingAssam.
The 2,000-kilometre-long (1,200 mi) proposed Mago-Thingbu toVijaynagarArunachal Pradesh Frontier Highway along theMcMahon Line,[5][6][7][8] (will intersect with the proposedEast-West Industrial Corridor Highway) and will pass through this district, alignment map of which can be seenhere andhere.[9]
Most tribes practice a form ofslash and burn agriculture known asJhum. After clearing the land, crops like barley and rice are planted, and fruit trees are planted to make orchards.
With the advancement of modern technology, horticulture based on apples and oranges is becoming increasingly popular. Today, temperate and sub-tropical fruits are planted in orchards with chemical fertilizers.
Fishing activities first started between 1965–66 and gained momentum in November 1980, when the Fishery Department first started functioning independently. As of today, the Fishery development activities are headed by a District Fishery Development Officer, originally the Superintendent of Fisheries.
The district's administrative divisions are Chayangtajo, Sawa, Khenewa, Bameng, Lada, Gyawe Purang, Pipu, Seppa, and Richukhrong.
There are 5Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly constituencies located in this district: Bameng, Chayangtajo,Seppa East, andSeppa West. All of these are part ofArunachal West Lok Sabha constituency.[10]
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 28,234 | — |
| 1971 | 35,134 | +2.21% |
| 1981 | 42,736 | +1.98% |
| 1991 | 50,395 | +1.66% |
| 2001 | 57,179 | +1.27% |
| 2011 | 78,690 | +3.24% |
| source:[11] | ||
According to the2011 census East Kameng district has apopulation of 78,690,[12] roughly equal to the nation ofDominica.[13] This gives it a ranking of 624th in India (out of a total of640).[12] The district has a population density of 19 inhabitants per square kilometre (49/sq mi) .[12] Itspopulation growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 37.14%.[12] East Kameng has asex ratio of 1,012females for every 1,000 males,[12] and aliteracy rate of 62.48%.[12]
East Kameng is inhabited by various tribes of similar origin but with distinct cultures and beliefs, practising theDonyi-Polo religion. The most populous of these, theNishi, are scattered throughout the entire district. Other tribes, especially theMiji,Puroik and theAka, are found in regions near theKameng river.
Since independence, much of the population has relocated to the district capital, Seppa. With the coming of modernism, festivals such as the Sarok of theAka, Nyokum of theNishi, Jonglam-Ponklam and Chindang of theMiji and the Gumkum-Gumpa are celebrated in full flair in Seppa.
TheNishi is aTibeto-Burman language spoken by approximately 800–1200 people in the East Kameng district who live among theAka (Hruso), but their language is distantly related, with distinct words for basic vocabulary.[14][15] Although it has resemblances toTani further to the east, it appears to be a separate branch of Tibeto-Burman.[16] Koro is unlike any language in the various branches of the Tibeto-Burman family.[17] Researchers hypothesize it may have originated from a group of people enslaved and brought to the area.[18]
Koro was recognized as a separate language in 2010 by a linguistic team ofDavid Harrison,Gregory Anderson, and Ganesh Murmu while documenting twoHruso languages (Aka and Miji) as part ofNational Geographic's "Enduring Voices" project.[14] It was apparently noticed by earlier researchers.[19]
The whole district is in picturesque hills covered with greenery. Tourist attractions in the district are inPapu Valley along thePapu River, among thoseChayangtajo 81 km north andBameng 48 km north of Seppo are hill stations connected by a motorable road.
Papu Valley is one of the most spectacular places in the district. Papu Valley got its name from the snake-like curvy streams of the Papu River. A vast field of rice covers the whole area of Papu Valley. Some of the major villages in this valley areSede,Seba,Nere etc.
Kameng River is popular for fishing, which requires a fishing license from the district administration.[21]
Unimak Island 4,119km2
Dominica 72,969 July 2011 est.
Places adjacent to East Kameng district | ||||||||||||||||
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