Sustainable ways of living that the North Eastern states have adapted to

The North Eastern states have been implementing sustainable ways of living since ages, where keeping simple and making use of resources in a smart, no-wastage method. Driving through the roads of Sikkim, hear no horns, locally produced boiled rice, boiled veggies and a little hand-pounded fish chutney is a comfort food in Manipur. And the interestingly less number of vehicles as compared to humans, much appreciable. People are happy to walk.

Recently, a video from Krem Chympe was being circulated on Instagram, where local shops were seen serving tea and noodles in bamboo cups. No, not use and throw cups made from bamboo waste or leaves, but cut pieces of bamboo, the slim, young ones for tea and the round, fat ones for the noodles. Sustainability at its best. Here are a few more ways that they adopted to, making the utmost use of resources, without creating pollution or wastage.

Nagaland has adopted an indigenous method of farming, which combines forestry, animal rearing and agriculture, all together, by maintaining protected forest land on hilltops, the middle region boasting of water tanks, and cattle sheds/paddy fields below, managing water and soil conservation effectively.

Sikkim, while focussing on soil health and chemical-free farming, has achieved the status of the world’s first 100% organic state.

Another unique and sustainable system where wet rice cultivation is integrated with fish rearing, together, in the same fields, conserving biodiversity. ​

In Nagaland, farmers utilise the Alnus nepalensis (alder) tree to pollard and improve soil fertility on steep slopes.

The bamboo drip irrigation is an ingenious method where tribal farmers use bamboo pipes to transport water from natural streams through gravity to commonly irrigate betel leaf vines and black pepper plants, delivering water directly to the base of the plant, often.

Nagaland's super popular Hornbill Festival is a national model for an ideal sustainable event, where they have replaced plastic with sustainable items like banana leaves, bagasse cutlery and bamboo straws.

As they believe in concepts where nothing goes to waste, local ventures in Nagaland transform waste from banana cultivation into antimicrobial bags, fabric, and handicrafts. This also promotes a circular economy.

The low-cost storage units in Meghalaya, powered by river sand and water, are managed by the village executive committees (VEC) to prevent post-harvest waste. ​

This is a community-led approach for sustainable development and biodiversity preservation.

A pioneering state policy aiming for Net-Zero emissions by 2047, the Pakke Declaration focusses on green economy, clean energy, and community conservation.

Local communities set aside portions of their forests for conservation, often turning to eco-tourism to manage biodiversity. ​

Assam's North Lakhimpur reclaimed 16 bighas of land by clearing 79,000 MT of legacy waste, and transformed it into an urban forest.

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