Why are most people in Tripura’s rural areas concentrated in the western plain and major river valleys?

The concentration of Tripura’s rural population in the western plain and major river valleys is primarily due to the availability of the state’s most fertile agricultural land in these areas.1

While much of the state is characterized by hilly, dissected terrain and soils that are often thin or leached of minerals, the western plain and the valleys of the Gumti, Dharmanagar, and Khowai rivers provide more suitable conditions for cultivation. Agriculture serves as the principal occupation for the state's residents, and these specific low-lying regions support the production of major crops such as rice, jute, tea, and cotton. Consequently, these fertile zones have become the primary hubs for both rural settlement and the state's major towns.1234