Mechuka

Menchukha Pine Forests

Mechuka is situated in a forested valley, surrounded by pine trees and thornbushes. The river Yargyapchu flows in the valley of Mechuka. Mechuka is 180 kilometres northwest of Along and is only 29 kilometres away from Indo-China border. The nearest airport is Lilabari Airport in Assam.

The name Men-chu-kha means medicinal water of snow where men is medicine, chu is water and kha is snow though kha also means mouth. The popular name for Menchukha is Menchukha.

Mechuka is part of Arunachal Pradesh state of India. Prior to the construction of the modern road, the only access to the village was via an airstrip, used by the Indian Air Force to supply goods to local people.

Menchukha/Mechukha Valley is home to the people of the Memba and Adi people. Other local people include Tagin tribes. The current MLA (August-2016) of Mechuka constituency is Pasang Dorjee Sona.[3]

Religions practiced in the valley include Tibetan Buddhism, Donyi-Poloism, and Christianity. Mechukha is known for both its religious and historical significance. The 400-year-old Samten Yongcha monastery of Mahayana Buddhist sect is a contemporary of the much-revered Tawang Monastery.

The languages spoken in Mechuka are Tshangla, Adi, Tagin, Hindi, and English. There is no evidence of Tshangla still being spoken in Menchukha valley. Instead, the people speak Memba, which is a Bodish language made up of a mixture of various Bodic varieties (dwags-po, kong-po, brag-gsum mtsho-'khor), East Bodish Tawang Monpa, Tshangla and some Tani loans. Some Memba people still speak Tawang Monpa.[4]

Menchukha town at dusk

The Indian Air Force maintains an airstrip, known as the Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Mechukha. The airstrip is used frequently to bring in vital supplies from cities in Assam via Antonov-32 aircraft and helicopters. The runway was renovated, strengthened, upgraded to a concrete runway and extended to 4,700 feet in 2017 by the government.[5] The area has a significant military presence, which also creates some employment opportunities for civilians. There is a twice a week helicopter service under the UDAN scheme on Monday and Saturday.[5] Government of Arunachal Pradesh has invited bids from the private airlines to operate a 9-searter fixed-wing air service which will not be under the UDAN scheme (c. May 2018).[5] On 3 Jun 2019, An Indian Air Force Plane Carrying 13 went missing after taking off From Assam toward this airport.[6] The wreckage of this aircraft was found in Siang circle sometime on 11 June 2019 and has been confirmed to District officials by IAF. The wreckage was spotted by an MI17 helicopter that was on search & rescue mission since last 8 days.

Mechukha has recently been connected by road to Along, the district headquarters about 180 km away, leading to increased development in the area. Mechukha has since become a subdivisional headquarters.

The 2,000-kilometre-long (1,200 mi) proposed Mago-Thingbu to Vijaynagar Arunachal Pradesh Frontier Highway along the McMahon Line,[7][8][9][10] (will intersect with the proposed East-West Industrial Corridor Highway) and will pass through Mechuka, alignment map of which can be seen here and here.[11]

Mechukha is gradually becoming a popular tourist destination in Arunachal Pradesh due to its scenic beauty, exotic tribes, gentle hills and snow-capped mountains and River Siyom (locally known as Yargyap Chu). The Siom River, which flows through Mechukha also provides a scenic view in the valley.[12]

The major tourist attraction here is a 400-year-old Buddhist Monastery, which is located at a hilltop in the westernmost part of Mechukha. Numerous ancient statues can also be found here. Accommodations are available at Tourist lodges and Inspection Bungalow and a few hotels are also coming up to meet the increasing influx of tourists from the country and abroad. The people of Adi tribe have resided in the Menchukha valley since time immemorial in the periphery of Mechukha valley in the villages of Gapo, Pauk, Padusa, Lipusi, Hiri, Purying, Rapum, Charung, Rego and Kart gumjipang, barang gang, shorang dhem, etc.

A new giant flying squirrels was discovered and described from the area by noted naturalist of North East India Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury, which he named as Mechuka giant flying squirrel Petaurista mechukaensis[13] The IUCN RedList has classified it as a Data Deficient species[14]

Menchukha landscape with river Siyom at the foreground

Menchukha landscape, river Siyom at the foreground