Last Updated on: April 09, 2022

Introduction

Dima Hasao, one of the three hill districts of Assam, is an administrative district that falls under one of the three autonomous councils set up under the provisions of the VI^th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, the other two being the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Bodoland Territorial Council. The district is one of the few tribal-majority districts of Assam and is blessed with a wide mosaic of tribal communities that are woven into the unique social fabric of the district. The Borail Range is a defining feature of the terrain of this district and owing to the altitude as such, is blessed with a pleasant climate distinguishing it from the steamy hot plains of Assam. The district is bounded on the east by Nagaland and Manipur, in the south by the the Barak Valley districts, in the west by Meghalaya and in the north by the districts of Hojai and East & West Karbi Anglong. Haflong serves as the headquarters for this district and this is where the office of the Deputy Commissioner and the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) Secretariat are located. 

Geography & Climate

Dima Hasao has a total land area of 4888 square kilometers which makes it the third largest district in Assam after Karbi Anglong and Sonitpur. The district is predominantly hilly due to the prominence of the Borail Range and the Shillong Plateau in the easterly and westerly zones respectively. Owing to its hilly terrain, there is a lot of variation in climate ranging from sub-tropical monsoon type to temperate alpine type due to the varying altitude. The headquarters Haflong sits at an altitude of 966 meters or 3188 feet which renders the climate rather pleasant with cool summers with temperatures ranging from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius and pleasant winters with the corresponding range of 8 to 25 degree Celsius. These temperature ranges and altitude make Haflong the only proper 'Hill Station' of Assam. The tallest peaks of the Borail Range are located in the district which are Thumjang and Hempeupet standing at 1866 meters and 1748 meters above mean sea level respectively.

Demographics

Dima Hasao has an enviable diversity of tribes which contribute to the unique social fabric of the district. It is a tribal-majority district with tribals constituting about 71% of the total population. There are 13 tribal groups inhabiting the district along with a significant number of non-tribal groups like Bengali, Nepali and Assamese. The major tribal groups in descending order of population are Dimasa, Kuki, Zeme, Hmar and Karbis besides other smaller tribes like the Khelma, Hrangkhol, Biates etc. 

Administrative Structure

The district has a dual system of administration as enshrined in the VI^th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) with its secretariat at Haflong, has administrative jurisdiction over 30 subjects out of the 61 subjects listed in the State List of the VII^th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Office of the Deputy Commissioner has jurisdiction over the rest. A brief snapshot of the administrative set-up is illustrated below:

Particulars	Details
Subdivisions	Diyungbra, Haflong & Maibang
SDO Civil Offices	Maibang & Diyungbra (Proposed)
Community Development Blocks	Diyung Valley - HQ at Maibang Diyungbra ITD - HQ at Diyungbra Harangajao ITD - HQ at Harangajao Jatinga Valley - HQ at Mahur New Sangbar - HQ at Sangbar

Statistics

Particulars	Details
Area (in square kilometers)	4888
Population	214102
Density (per square kilometers)	44
Sex Ratio (per 1000 males)	932
Decadal Population Growth (%) from 2001 to 2011	13.84
Proportion of Assam's population (%)	0.69
Average Literacy (%)	77.54
MLA Constituencies	1
MAC (Autonomous Council) Constituencies	28
Police Stations	8
Police Outposts	11