Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh was declared the cleanest in the northeast region by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In 2018, the district initiated waste segregation by using biodegradable bags across towns.
The state also undertook the ‘Himalayan Cleanup’ drive and collected single-use plastic waste from 89 sites in a single day. Many villages in the district have remained tobacco-free for 35 years. Tawang was also the first northeastern district to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2017.
With a population of around 50,000, Tawang is the smallest district of Arunachal Pradesh and the eight least populous district of India.
