Heritage Galo home in Arunachal sends strong eco message on World Environment Day

As the world observed World Environment Day with tree plantation drives and public awareness campaigns, one Arunachal Pradesh family has gone a step further—by building and preserving a traditional eco-friendly Galo house amid a jungle of concrete buildings in the state capital.

Tassar Tai, the Gaon Burah of Tabiang village in Kra Daadi district and a member of the Nyishi community, inaugurated a Galo-style bamboo home named “Tassar Heritage” in Lekhi village, Itanagar. The initiative, which aligns with this year’s World Environment Day theme “Beat Plastic Pollution,” has sent a powerful message about sustainable living and the preservation of indigenous architectural traditions.

The Galo house, constructed entirely of bamboo, grass, and locally available natural materials, is reminiscent of the traditional dwellings once common among various tribes of the Abotani community, including the Galos, Nyishis, Apatanis, Adis, and Tagins. However, such heritage structures are becoming increasingly rare in urban settings.

“Even though I belong to the Nyishi community, I chose to build a traditional Galo house to show that we all are part of the larger Abotani family. This house is not just about tradition, it’s about sustainability,” said Tassar Tai, speaking to India Today. He emphasized the practicality of these homes in a region prone to seismic activity, noting that bamboo structures are more resilient and safer during earthquakes.

While his children have chosen to reside in modern concrete houses in the capital, Tassar Tai’s decision to stay in a traditional structure underscores a conscious effort to live closer to nature. “My children built RCC homes, but I wanted to return to our roots. This is a message to the younger generation that traditional doesn’t mean outdated—it means sustainable,” he said.