Shillong, Oct 10: Roads are the most important and a basic necessity of a developed State. Despite 50 years of statehood, Meghalaya still has many villages which are yet to have road connectivity, including many under the East Khasi Hills district which also houses Shillong.

The world knows about Sohra, its beautiful landscape, waterfalls, clear crystal rivers and the famous caves, but does not know that some villagers in Sohra have to trek treacherous footpaths for 2 to 5 hours to simply buy their daily necessities and food. Villages like Mawmang, Sder, Maiong, Mawsohmat, Khohber, Warbar and Tluh village under Khatarshnong area have not seen a pukka nor a kutcha road till date.

These villages are located downstream of Kongthong village, which is globally known as the Whistling Village, located about 53 km from Shillong.

Speaking to people while on the way to Mawmang village, everyone expressed that in the past the sordars and the headmen of these villages have tried their best to negotiate with the state government to provide roads to these villages but till date the talks and negotiations remain unsuccessful.

One senior citizen, who is about 67-years-old, said he has lost all hope when it comes to road connectivity in these villages as none of its representatives have taken initiative to introduce roads in the region.

“In my lifetime I have seen many deaths along this route and I have also seen many women give birth along the way while trekking through this treacherous road to reach the Kongthong village, which is the nearest village with motorable road, ” the senior citizen added.

A woman who was taking her one-year old infant to Khrang village for medical check up said it is very difficult for pregnant women of the seven villages to travel to hospitals due to the absence of roads and most of them choose home delivery instead of going to a health centre.

“Due to the lack of road connectivity, people suffer a lot, especially those who need medical attention. The villagers will have to carry them on their back in a basket or Khasi Khoh,” said one mother.

Meanwhile, Sordar of Raid Mawmang, Arman Majaw, said apart from road connectivity, these villages still lack many developmental activities like education, health care, electricity and water connection besides many others.

Majaw said among the 7 villages, only Mawmang village has electricity whereas the rest of them use solar power.

When it comes to education, Majaw said that even though most villages have schools, they only cater till class 5. With the lack of road connectivity most of the children choose to drop out or they have to trek 2 hrs back to back if they want to continue with their education.

“I may be wrong to say this but most children will choose to drop out over continuing with their education for many reasons especially with having to trek for more than 4 to 5 hours to reach Kongthong or Khrang for schooling,” said Majaw.

Majaw said even though these villages still lack and require many developmental activities yet the people’s biggest aspiration is to see that all these villages are well connected by roads from Kongthong up to Tluh village.

Majaw informed that the people in these villages are mostly farmers who cultivate broomstick, bay leaf and other indigenous fruits and vegetables and the rest involve themselves in labour-based government schemes like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Meanwhile, one resident of Mawmang village, Syiem Khongsit, said people of these villages crave to see road connectivity more than anything else as everyone has suffered enough due to lack of road connectivity.

Khongsit said that the sordar and headmen of these villages have met the Rajya Sabha member from Bihar, Rakesh Sinha, to seek intervention for road connectivity in the area.

“Personally, I have more faith in Sinha who has adopted three villages to uplift the villages of 12 shnong as he has acknowledged that these villages are in need of road connectivity at the earliest,” said Khongsit.

Khongsit informed that Sinha in the past had initiated many developmental activities in these villages but the people had stressed that first and foremost these villages require road connection.

“As we have adjusted our lives due to lack of many developmental activities. These developmental activities can come following the introduction of road connectivity in these villages,” he added.