About District

West Kameng is a district of Arunachal Pradesh in India.It accounts for 8.86% of the total area of the state.The name is derived from the Kameng River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra that flows through the district.

West Kameng lies approximately between 91° 30′ to 92° 40′ East longitudes and 26° 54′ to 28° 01′ North latitudes. The district shares an international border with Tibet in the north, Bhutan in the west, Tawang District in the northwest, and East Kameng district in the east. The southern border is shared with Sonitpur district and Darrang district of Assam.

The topography of the district is mostly mountainous. A greater part of it falls within the higher mountain zone, consisting of a mass of tangled peaks and valleys. In West Kameng there are three principle mountain chains – part of Sela range, Bomdila range and Chaku range. The Sela range consists of a series of mountains arranged in the form of a big line from Tibet in the north to Bhutan in the west and thus forming a tough terrain to pass through. The altitude of Sela range varies from 14,000 to 15,000 feet and Sela pass is 13,714 feet high. The Bomdila range has an average height of 9000 feet. South of Bomdila range lies the Chaku range (foot-hills range) having hills of quite low altitudes and is full of tropical forests with trees of great economic value and various types of wild game.

The inhabitants of the district comprises mainly of Monpa (Dirang, Boot, Lish, and Kalaktang monpa), Miji (Sajalong), Sherdukpen, Aka, and Bugun (Khawa). The Monpas belong to the Tibeto-Mongoloid stock and are the largest tribe of the district, inhabiting mainly in Dirang and Kalaktang circles. The Mijis are settled in Nafra and Akas in Thrizino circle. The Khawas inhabit the Wanghoo, Kaspi, Singchung and Tenga areas. The Sherdukpens are mainly settled in 4 villages of Rupa, Jigaon, Shergaon, Thongre and also in Doimara area. By and large the inhabitants are Buddhists though Akas, Khawas and Mijis believe in indigenous religion and follow partly Buddhist and Hindu practices. Every tribe has its own society and village council.

The district is divided into three administrative sub-divisions viz. Bomdila, Thrizino, and Rupa and two independent Additional Deputy commissioner’s office at Singchung and Dirang. All the circle head quarters of the district are connected with the district head quarters (Bomdila) by roads. Regular passenger services to Guwahati, Tezpur, Itanagar, Tawang and all the circle head quarters of the district are being provided by State Transport and private buses. Bhalukpong is the nearest railway station in the district situated at about 100 km from the Bomdila, while Salonibari (Tezpur, Assam) is the nearest airport about 160 km from the district head quarters.

Like East Kameng, the West Kameng district experiences arid tundra or a cool temperate climate in the north. Snow fall occurs from mid-November to February.