Kenny Jyrwa
Shillong, Aug 1: Sohra – one of the wettest places on earth, filled with green pastures and mesmerizing waterfalls, is a top tourist destination attracting visitors from neighbouring states and countries alike. However, this famous spot, once packed with nature lovers, is facing a new crisis and at a crossroads for its survival.
Why is Sohra in Danger?
The majority of the population in Sohra depends on tourism for their daily livelihoods, whether through accommodation, lodging and food services, or as tour guides. Recently, however, their livelihoods have seen a significant decrease due to a decline in tourist inflow over the last few days.
The Hub News team visited one of the famous tourist attractions in Sohra and observed that though cars were lined up, the area is not as crowded as it used to be. Famous sites like ‘Noh Kalikai,’ which typically host hundreds of visitors on weekdays and thousands on weekends, now see only 10-20 people.
On the way to Sohra, at Mawkdok – a place where tourists love to stop before heading towards Sohra, also seemed quiet, with fewer tourists enjoying the view and the famous local roadside roasted corn.
A local vendor selling roasted corn expressed concerns that she hardly made any sales. When asked, she said last week was totally different compared to this week. The local vendor did note that the decline of tourist inflow may be due to ‘that’ particular incident.
A local man selling Khasi honey, spices, and souvenirs at Noh Kalikai lamented, “How will we feed our family?” As a single father with three kids who relies solely on tourism for his income, he was disheartened to see the empty parking lot, equating it to an empty pocket. He also noted that the decline might be due to that particular incident.
A restaurant manager said that on that particular day, a huge amount of food went to waste as the restaurant, which is usually busy, was deserted.
What is that particular incident?
On July 26, Hynniewtrep National Youth Federation (HNYF), a pressure group, took matters in its hands to demand an influx checking mechanism and barred tourist taxis with Assam registration from proceeding towards popular tourist destinations such as Sohra and Dawki.
However, the Police along with the District Administration intervened and the situation was resolved. Even though the vehicles were allowed to proceed towards the tourist destination, however, many tourists especially with Assam registration returned back to their respective homes in fear that the situation might escalate.
The July 26 incident has affected not only the small local shops and vendors but has affected big businesses too. It was reported that over 30 percent of tourists booking Guest House Hotels have been cancelled.
All the local shopkeepers, vendors and restaurant managers that the Hub News team spoke with urged the government to take note of the matter and take a decision that will benefit and balance everyone alike.
On the bright side, tourists from Assam, Hyderabad and Uttar Pradesh express great excitement when visiting the State.
“Even though it was just my first visit, I feel like this is my home,” said a man from Uttar Pradesh. He is visiting the state with his friends for four days and was enjoying the view at Mawkdok and busy chewing the fresh roasted corn and excited to go visit Asia’s cleanest village- Mawlynnong next.
“The hospitality and the weather is what drives me crazy about Meghalaya,” said a girl from Lakhimpur, Assam after posing for a selfie with her little sisters in the midst of fog while waiting for her family coming from a restaurant.
Similarly, a group from Hyderabad was very excited to be in Meghalaya. After having a sumptuous pure veg meal in one of the restaurants at Sohra, they said, “We came from Assam and straight to Meghalaya, we will stay in Meghalaya for a few days and we will go back to our busy, boring life.” They acknowledged the great and gentle hospitality of the khasi people even though they have been in the state for less than 24 hours.
Will tourists bloom yet again in Sohra?
The locals pray for it, the taxi drivers hope for it, the shopkeepers long for it, and the roadside corn vendors look forward to it.
This might be a small hiccup, but it could also be a red flag. The people of Sohra, who heavily rely on tourism, might go home empty-handed if the situation isn’t handled correctly. The government and pressure groups should carefully consider every move they make because, as the saying goes, “when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.”
Read: NEC celebrates inaugural National Space Day with school students of Shillong
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