The Incredible North East India

Image Source: Internet (Edited)

-Birupakhya Goutom Phukan

Think of nature not just as a random collection of trees or rivers, but as the very ground we stand on. It is the ultimate foundation of our daily lives. The moment we take something from the environment and use it to survive or build, it becomes a "resource." The well-known naturalist Robert D. Hamrin once pointed out that these natural elements are the absolute starting point for all biological, chemical, and geological evolution. Looking at India's Northeast, especially Assam, you quickly realize we are sitting on a massive, invaluable treasure chest.

Take our mineral wealth, for instance. Places like Digboi, Naharkatia, and Duliajan aren't just names on a map—they represent Asia’s oldest living oil history. Deep underground, massive reserves of crude oil and natural gas sit scattered across regions like Hugrijan, Moran, Rudrasagar, Lakuwa, and Geleki. To process this valuable liquid, four major refineries operate right here in the state: Digboi, Numaligarh, Noonmati, and Bongaigaon. Then there is coal. The bustling fields of Tipong-Bargolai and Ledo-Margherita do the heavy lifting to power our thermal energy plants. Move over to Meghalaya and Nagaland, and you find massive limestone deposits that feed the region's cement industries, including the well-known factory over at Bokajan in Karbi Anglong. History books tell us stories of people panning gold straight out of the Subansiri River centuries ago, and today, we still find traces of gold mines in Goalpara. Our earth hides incredible wealth. Just recently, India’s very first large vanadium reserve came to light in Arunachal Pradesh, alongside critical Rare Earth Elements found in Assam and Meghalaya that are vital for modern high-tech industries.

But look beyond the rocks and mines. Our thick forests, wild animals, and rushing rivers are equally massive assets. The rivers flowing through Assam never dry up, offering incredible, untouched potential for generating clean hydroelectric power. The soil here is incredibly fertile too. It effortlessly grows our staple crop, rice, along with mustard, potatoes, bananas, and coconuts. Lately, local farmers have even found good success growing wheat on a smaller scale. And of course, Assam tea needs no introduction—it is famous worldwide. On top of that, we have the legendary Muga silk from Sualkuchi and beautiful hand-woven fabrics from Palashbari that people all over India love. Walk into our woodlands, and you will find majestic elephants, tigers, deer, and nearly 1,200 different species of wild birds. These forests also keep our local industries alive, supplying bamboo for paper mills and Shimul trees for jute factories.

To understand how these resources work, we generally sort them into a few groups. We live surrounded by inorganic resources like air and water, organic resources like coal and wood, and mixed resources like the very soil under our feet. Where they are located matters too. Assets inside our borders belong to the nation, rivers running through different countries are multinational, while sunlight and the open oceans belong to the whole world. Some things, like air, will never run out. But fossil fuels and metals are exhaustible. They are non-renewable, meaning if we use them up completely, they are gone forever.

Yet, despite all this incredible abundance, a frustrating problem remains. The Northeast is still lagging far behind when it comes to industrial and commercial growth. Because our industrial setups are underdeveloped and often controlled from the outside, our local communities rarely get to enjoy the full financial benefits of their own land. This leaves us dealing with low average incomes and high unemployment.

Nothing on this earth lasts forever. It is up to every single one of us to protect this natural inheritance and stop the wasteful destruction of what we have. If we do not start acting wisely today—by stopping the overuse of renewable assets and carefully managing our limited mineral wealth—we will leave behind nothing but an empty vault for the generations coming after us.