Tribal Udaan: Multi-Purpose Sports Hub & Recreational Park, Kanubari

Tribal Udaan: Multi-Purpose Sports Hub & Recreational Park, Kanubari

Problem

  • Lack of recreational infrastructure, leaving youth energy untapped and vulnerable to negative influences
  • Persistent perception of Longding as backward and insurgency-affected, undermining community morale
  • Absence of safe, inclusive public spaces for children, women, and elderly residents
  • Need to demonstrate that rural public infrastructure can be financially sustainable through community ownership
  • Opportunity to foster inter-state harmony at the Arunachal–Assam–Nagaland tri-junction through shared sporting and cultural activities

Solution

  • Identified and repurposed a neglected town park into a multi-purpose sports and recreational hub
  • Engaged Wancho youth engineers and local stakeholders in co-design for community ownership and inclusivity
  • Adopted rapid, low-cost construction using departmental manpower, completing the project within 112 days
  • Established a registered management society with bylaws to ensure transparent governance and sustainability
  • Introduced a user-fee model to generate revenue, ensure upkeep, and create financial self-sufficiency

Outcomes

  • Generated ₹2.5 lakh revenue in four months with ₹1.5 lakh surplus, proving financial sustainability
  • Daily youth engagement through futsal and volleyball reduced alienation and boosted community pride
  • Women’s volleyball teams emerged, normalizing female participation in structured sports and inspiring young girls
  • Children, elderly, and officers gained safe, dignified spaces, improving health, morale, and social cohesion
  • Cross-border matches with Assam and Nagaland fostered inter-state harmony and people-to-people bonding

Project Details

Category: Tribal Development
Project Title: Tribal Udaan – Multi-Purpose Sports Hub & Recreational Park, Kanubari
Department or District: District Administration, Longding
State: Arunachal Pradesh
Start Date of the Project: 11th November 2024
Website: https://longding.nic.in/

Tribe(s) that the Project Covers: Wancho Tribe and other tribal communities residing in Kanubari and Longding District

Keywords: Rural Sports, Sports for Development, Wancho Tribe, Rural Development, Youth Livelihood Schemes, Women Empowerment, Recreational Infrastructure, Community Governance, Sustainability, Inter-State Harmony

Located in one of Arunachal Pradesh’s most remote, insurgency-affected, and socio-economically challenged districts, Kanubari long struggled with a lack of structured recreational infrastructure. Children, youth, women, and elderly citizens had no dignified public spaces, leaving young people particularly vulnerable to negative influences, drug abuse, and conflict-driven environments.

Tribal Udaan, conceptualized and led by the District Administration, Longding, converted a defunct and neglected town park into a vibrant, inclusive, multi-purpose sports & recreation hub. Completed in just 112 days, the project stands as a symbol of hope, peace, aspiration, gender inclusion, and inter-state harmony at the Arunachal–Assam–Nagaland tri-junction.

It is not just an infrastructure project, it is a behavioural transformation model, demonstrating the power of community-led governance, low-cost innovation, and sustainable rural development.

The Project

Tribal Udaan is a multi-purpose sports and recreational campus featuring:

  • Futsal court
  • Volleyball ground (active women’s teams)
  • Open-air gym
  • Children’s recreational zone
  • Walking spaces
  • A self-sustaining user-fee model
  • A registered management society for governance

The project repurposed an already-available public space, eliminating land acquisition challenges and demonstrated that high-quality public infrastructure can be built rapidly, affordably, and with strong local ownership.In just four months, the hub generated ₹2.5 lakh revenue, with a net surplus of ₹1.5 lakh, proving viability in a rural, low-income setting.

Problems that it Intends to Solve

  • Lack of recreational infrastructure, leaving youth vulnerable to drugs and insurgency.
  • Negative external perception of Longding as a backward and conflict-prone district.
  • Absence of safe public spaces for women, children, and the elderly.
  • No financially sustainable model for managing public facilities.
  • Lack of avenues for inter-state people-to-people engagement among border communities.

What was the Need

The district faced deep socio-economic and psychological challenges. Youth lacked constructive outlets, women had no safe recreational environment, and the district identity suffered under the weight of insurgency-related stigma. The project was necessary to:

  • Improve the district’s image and confidence
  • Channel youth energy positively
  • Boost community morale
  • Create inclusive, gender-sensitive spaces
  • Build pride and ownership in public assets

What Hindered its Introduction

  • Difficult logistics in a remote border region
  • Heavy rainfall and lack of drainage
  • Extremely limited budgets
  • Community scepticism about the user-fee model
  • No contractors — reliance on departmental manpower and youth volunteers

Process Followed for Implementation

  • Involvement of Community & Youth
    • Wancho youth engineers were engaged in design and execution.
    • Local clubs such as Kanubari Fitness Club co-created the space, giving rise to emotional ownership (“KEM Field”).
  • Governance Mechanism
    • A registered management society chaired by ADC was established.
    • Bylaws created for maintenance, fee structure, bookings, and accountability.
    • User-fee model ensured long-term sustainability.
  • Execution Strategy
    • Repurposing of existing land
    • Cost-effective materials
    • Rapid execution using departmental manpower
    • Stakeholder-aligned vision and inclusive design features

Solutions Implemented

  • Transformation of a neglected park into a multi-sport + recreational campus
  • Inclusive infrastructure for all age groups
  • Twin drainage system for monsoon resilience
  • User-pay model for revenue generation
  • Community-based governance for accountability
  • Cross-border sports to promote inter-state harmony

Coverage of the Implementation

  • 30,000 + beneficiaries (youth, women, elderly, school children, local clubs, visitors, border communities from Assam & Nagaland)
  • Daily users include youth, women, school groups, elderly walkers, and government officers.

Innovation and Unique Features

  1. Governance Innovation
    • Registered society model
    • Clear by-laws and accountability mechanisms
    • Community-managed booking and maintenance
  2. Self-Sustaining Revenue Model
    • Affordable user-pay charges
    • ₹2.5 lakh revenue in four months
    • Proven financial stability even in a remote tribal district
  3. Low-Cost, Rapid, Efficient Construction
    • Completed in 112 days
    • No contractors; full use of departmental manpower & local youth
  4. Social Innovation
    • Women’s volleyball teams – symbol of empowerment
    • Inter-state sporting events generate peace and bonding
    • Officers staying over weekends → improved governance immersion

Adaptations During Implementation

  • Innovative drainage due to heavy monsoons
  • Continuous redesign to meet safety, inclusivity, and sustainability requirements
  • Adjusting the user-fee structure based on community inputs

Challenges Faced

  • Internal
    • No contractors; manpower shortages
    • High daily demand exceeding capacity
    • Limited financial resources
  • External
    • Geographic isolation
    • Monsoon disruption
    • Community hesitance around the user-fee model

Outcomes

  • Quantitative
    • ₹2.5 lakh revenue; ₹1.5 lakh surplus
    • Attendance increased daily
    • 20,000+ beneficiaries engaged
  • Qualitative
    • Youth inclusion and discipline
    • Women’s empowerment through team formation
    • Cross-border harmony (Assam & Nagaland teams participate)
    • Strong civic pride — locals named it “KEM Field” (“Our Ground”)
    • Officers more connected to community life
  • Monitoring & Evaluation
    • Daily log of bookings, usage, and revenue
    • Monthly financial audits by the management society
    • Continuous community feedback for improvements

Beneficiaries

  • Primary Beneficiaries:
    • Wancho youth and students
    • Women athletes
    • Elderly community members
    • Schools and local clubs
  • Secondary Beneficiaries:
    • Visitors from Assam & Nagaland
    • Officers posted in Kanubari
    • Local vendors and micro-entrepreneurs emerging around the hub

Presentation

Video

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