Lepa Rada is a district in the central part of Arunachal Pradesh, a state in north-eastern India. It was carved out as a separate administrative unit in 2018 and has its headquarters at Basar. The district takes its name from the Lepa and Rada rivers, which flow through the region.
| Name | Lepa Rada district |
|---|---|
| State | Arunachal Pradesh |
| Country | India |
| Headquarters | Basar |
| Formed | 2018 |
| Parent district | West Siang |
| Region | North-East India |
Lepa Rada was constituted on 27 February 2018 after being separated from the erstwhile West Siang district. Its creation was part of a broader reorganisation in Arunachal Pradesh during which several new districts were notified to bring administration closer to remote populations. Basar, previously a sub-divisional headquarters under West Siang, was elevated to serve as the district headquarters.
The district lies in the foothills and mid-hill belt of central Arunachal Pradesh. It is bounded by Lower Siang district to the east, West Siang district to the north, and the plains-adjacent Lower Subansiri and Kamle areas to the west. The terrain is characterised by forested hills, narrow valleys and tributary streams of the Siang river system, including the Lepa and Rada rivers from which the district draws its name.
The district is predominantly inhabited by the Galo community, one of the major tribal groups of Arunachal Pradesh. Galo language and customs dominate cultural life, and the Mopin festival, a major Galo agricultural festival, is widely celebrated across villages of the district. The Basar Confluence (Bas Con), an annual community-led tourism and cultural event organised at Basar, has drawn attention to the area's traditional architecture, cuisine and eco-tourism potential.
Lepa Rada is administered by a Deputy Commissioner based at Basar. The district is divided into administrative circles, with Basar, Tirbin, Dari and Sago among the principal circle headquarters. For legislative purposes, the area falls within assembly constituencies of Arunachal Pradesh and is part of the Arunachal West parliamentary constituency.
The local economy is largely agrarian, with shifting cultivation (jhum), wet rice cultivation in valley pockets, horticulture and animal husbandry forming the mainstay of livelihoods. Bamboo, cane and timber-based crafts are practised at the household level. Tourism, particularly community-based and eco-tourism initiatives around Basar, has emerged as a supplementary source of income.
The creation of Lepa Rada reflects the policy of decentralised administration in Arunachal Pradesh, intended to improve service delivery in remote tribal areas. Basar's emergence as a district capital has also positioned it as a hub for Galo cultural identity and small-scale tourism in the central belt of the state.