By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Shillong Golf Course (SGC), which was recently in news for losing its sheen and appearances due to large scale trespassing and littering, has improved by 10% to 15%. Informing this, SGC golf captain, Rahul Bajaj said that there has been slight improvement whereas weekend picnics and visits to the course are continuing unabatedly.
It has been that wastes in the form of crisp packets, burnt cigarettes, beers and other drinks bottle/cans, food wrappers etc. which is an unending list are seen lying on the golf course. Tourists from the country and abroad have even remarked in their blogs/social networking pages that the site is a “public park” in reality and not a golf course.
The golf captain said that games like football and cricket has been stopped with the help of Meghalaya police which has solved some portion of the problem. “We have also put 40 notice boards warning people not to litter and out of that 15 were stolen. But there has been some visual effects,” he said. The general secretary, The Shillong Club, Suresh Singh said that some miscreants are breaking the boundary wall near Lymshyiap side of the course despite constructing it several times. The BSF, which has earlier taken the step of cleaning the SGC this June, is still carrying on with the cleaning operation.
The Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, BM Lanong has said in the past that although SGC is a private property but the government will not shy away from helping it. “We have a meeting with the minister when we took up the matters of boundary wall and other maintenance issues. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) needs to be prepared on this and I have sounded that to the Board of Directors, Shillong Club, who own the course, which is going to prepare the DPR,” said the golf captain.
Mr Singh said that it will be decided by the members of the club, who owns the course.
“Actually, there is a scheme from the union government to upgrade golf courses in the country but all know how things move in the government,” he said.
MLA Pynthormkhrah AL Hek,who is also the President of Shillong Golfers Association said that he is also trying his best to bring back the course to its earlier days. “The road that runs through the course is a cause of concern which has to be diverted and an alternative arrangement has to be made. Secondly, a separate ground, RB Lyngdoh Memorial Ground, has been constructed for the youth to play football/cricket but still some go to the course and play there. We have asked the police to prevent them from doing so,” said Mr Hek.
While informing that a separate road arrangement for the road that bisects the course will be made in the near future, the matter has been taken up with all the local Durbars in the area, he said that presently golfers are playing in the course only in the morning.
“We are going to organize a major tournament for amateurs in association with Meghalaya tourism wherein six countries are participating along with many corporate groups from all over the country, which is a moment of pride for the state,” said Mr Hek.
Meanwhile, Mr Bajaj said that since the state government has declared SGC as a tourist spot, the club is unable to prevent public moving into the course.
Echoing him, Mr Hek also said that one is allowed to come since the site is automatically a tourist spot but should not litter it.