The North-Eastern Himalayas

Introduction

The Eastern Himalayas are classified into five climate zones: arctic, subarctic, temperate, subtropical, and mild tropical. The woods are lush, thick, evergreen, semi-evergreen, or moderate in climate. Precipitation is quite high, and the woodland environment is extremely humid. Sal woods and evergreen trees may be found in abundance all throughout the Eastern Himalayan foothills. The hills are covered with subtropical woods up to a height of roughly 2000 m.

The temperate mixed woods may be found up to 3000 m in elevation, followed by the alpine forests, which are mostly made up of fir, juniper, and rhododendron. Slow loris, rhinoceros, golden langur, tiger, Indian civet, clouded leopard, and golden cat are among the species and birds that call this area home. Among the birds are a heron, a white-winged wood duck, and a snow cock. In this area, a variety of wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves have been established to safeguard the species from poachers and human encroachment. Jaldapara is famed for its one-horned rhinoceros, hog deer, and tiger floricans, which can be found in the Bhutan foothills of Bengal. Buxa Sanctuary, located at the crossroads of Assam, northern West Bengal, and Bhutan, is a Project Tiger tiger reserve that acts as a crucial corridor for elephants moving between the woods of Assam and Bhutan. It contains deep deciduous woodland and is home to swamp deer, leopards, and other bird species.

Many high-altitude creatures and birds live in Sikkim’s Khangchendzonga national park, including the clouded leopard, red panda, musk deer, snow cock, and pheasants. The main kinds of forest found here are coniferous and Alpine scrub. The Manas sanctuary between Bhutan and Assam features lush semi-evergreen and deciduous woods, wetlands, and marshes on each side of the Manas river. It is famed for the golden langur, which can only be found in this location. The barking deer, sambar, and golden cat are also present here. It is also a Project Tiger tiger reserve.

Darjeeling Himalayas and Sikkim Himalayas

• They are bordered on the west by the Nepal Himalayas and east by the Bhutan eastern Himalayas
• The Tista River, for example, is a fast-flowing river in this area
• It is a mountainous region with high peaks such as Kanchenjunga (Kanchan Giri) and deep valleys
• The Lepcha tribes live in the region’s higher elevations
• The Darjeeling Himalayas, in particular, have a mixed population of Nepalis, Bengalis, and Central Indian tribes
• Because of the physical circumstances, the British introduced tea plantations to this region:
• The slope is moderate
• a thick layer of soil with a high organic content
• Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year
• Winters are mild
• The Shiwalik formation is lacking in this location, and the ‘duar formations, which have also been employed to construct tea plantations, have taken their place
• Orchids are well-known in Sikkim

Arunachal Himalayas

• These range from the Bhutan Himalayas in the east to the Diphu pass in the east
• Kangto and Namcha Barwa are significant mountain peaks
• Fast-flowing rivers cut through these ranges from north to south, causing deep gorges. After crossing Namcha Barwa, the Brahmaputra runs through a deep gorge
• The Kameng, the Subansiri, the Dihang, the Dibang, and the Lohit are all important rivers. These are perennial, with a high fall rate, and have the country’s most considerable hydroelectric power potential
• The Monpa, Abor, Mishmi, Nyishi, and Nagas are ethnic tribal communities that range from west to east. The majority of them engage in Jhumming cultivation
• The inter-valley transit links are minimal due to the rough geography. As a result, most contacts take place in the duar region near the Arunachal-Assam border

Eastern Hills and Mountains

• These mountains are part of the Himalayan mountain system, and they are generally aligned from north to south
• They go by a variety of names in different parts of the country
• Patkai Bum, Naga Hills, and Manipur Hills are located in the northern area
• Mizo or Lushai hills in the south.
• These are low hills populated by various tribal groups who practice Jhum agriculture
• Numerous tiny rivers split the majority of these mountains
• The Barak is a significant river in Manipur and Mizoram, with tributaries. The Barak eventually becomes a tributary of the Meghana
• Manipur’s Loktak Lake is surrounded by mountains and is a distinctive feature
• The rivers of Manipur’s eastern region are tributaries of the Chindwin, which is a tributary of Myanmar’s Irrawaddy
• Mizoram, also known as the ‘Molasses basin,’ is characterised by soft, unconsolidated sediments.
• The majority of Nagaland’s rivers feed the Brahmaputra

This was a complete guide on the North-eastern Himalayas.

Conclusion

The Darjeeling Hills or North Bengal, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and eastern Bhutan are all part of the Eastern Himalayas. The region is drained by the Brahmaputra and its tributaries: the Teesta drains parts of Sikkim and Darjeeling, while the Manas drains parts of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. The two major rivers that drain the eastern Himalayas are the Kamang and the Subansiri.