East Jaintia Hills is a district in the state of Meghalaya in north-eastern India. The district has its administrative headquarters at Khliehriat. It is part of the Jaintia Hills region, which is traditionally inhabited by the Pnar (Jaintia) community.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| State | Meghalaya |
| Region | Jaintia Hills |
| Headquarters | Khliehriat |
| Parent district | Jaintia Hills district (until 2012) |
| Sister district | West Jaintia Hills |
| Predominant community | Pnar (Jaintia) |
| Common languages | Pnar, Khasi, English |
East Jaintia Hills was carved out of the erstwhile Jaintia Hills district when the latter was bifurcated in 2012 into two separate districts, East Jaintia Hills and West Jaintia Hills. The reorganisation was undertaken to bring administration closer to the people in the eastern parts of the Jaintia Hills, where settlements are scattered across hilly terrain and where coal and limestone mining activity had grown significantly.
The district lies in the eastern part of Meghalaya. It shares boundaries with West Jaintia Hills district to the west, with the state of Assam to the north, and with Bangladesh to the south. The terrain is largely hilly, with plateaus, valleys and forested patches typical of the Meghalaya subtropical landscape. The area receives heavy rainfall during the south-west monsoon, in keeping with the wider Khasi and Jaintia Hills region.
The headquarters town of Khliehriat hosts the office of the Deputy Commissioner and other district-level administrative units. The district forms part of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council, constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, which exercises authority over land, customary law and certain local matters in the area.
The economy of East Jaintia Hills is shaped strongly by mineral resources. The district is known for deposits of coal and limestone, which have supported small-scale mining as well as cement manufacturing units operating in and near the district. Agriculture, including cultivation of paddy, maize, vegetables and areca nut, together with horticulture and forest produce, also contributes to local livelihoods. Coal mining in the region has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny, including directions of the National Green Tribunal on rat-hole mining in Meghalaya.
The population is predominantly Pnar (Jaintia), one of the major indigenous communities of Meghalaya, along with smaller numbers of Khasis, Biates, and other groups. Society follows a matrilineal system of descent and inheritance, in common with other communities of the Khasi–Jaintia hills. Christianity is the most widely practised religion, alongside surviving traditional Niam Tre beliefs. Major cultural events include traditional Pnar dances and festivals associated with the agricultural calendar.
The district is connected by road to the state capital Shillong and to the town of Jowai in West Jaintia Hills. National and state highways passing through the Jaintia Hills serve as the main links to the rest of Meghalaya and to Assam. There is no operational railway or commercial airport within the district; the nearest airport and major rail connectivity are accessed via the Guwahati region in Assam.