Khyndai Lad Beautification 
The much spoken makeover in
parts of the hill station is progressing so slow that even nature would defeat it and redraw landscapes earlier.
No one wants to comment as to which ‘generation’ will be lucky to witness this rare event of a project completed on time.
The interlocking tiles which were to be paved at the cost of Rs 2.8 crore from the commercial hub Khyndai Lad (Police Bazar) to the road leading to Umsohsun point and Thana Road as part of the first phase of beautification of Shillong is yet to be ‘unlocked’!
As rightly said, ‘beauty lies in the eye of the beholder’, complains should take a backseat for once because at the end of the day, the government never defined the idea of ‘beautification’. The awesome road condition that we have now might just be the idea but the citizens are unaware! The concept of beauty cannot be debated as it is different for one and all. To us, the lane would have been beautiful with tiles adorning it but the state government’s perspective seems to revolve around ‘raging raw beauty’. The best part is that the lane orientation and feels changes with the changing weather. Now that’s terrific ‘futuristic’ beautification….a road that keeps changing its feel!
Once the sun is blaring over your head; you will see the sharp edged stones and pebbles raising its head. A walk through the lane seems more like a trekking expedition. ‘Woodland’ can be the only safe choice over such terrain. Come rains and the scenario is again different. This time, the road transforms to a swampy terrain with mud, slime and dissolved betel nut stains, no pair of trousers are forgiven from the splashes it has to offer.
What remains is the dry season where the lane is in fact ‘ignored’ as everyone is busy squinting to avoid the dust from entering one’s eye….not to miss the added fun it has to offer in the form of ‘little potholes’ with just a little water and dirt!
It is indeed very beautiful, possibly no one matches such standards…it really is boring to have to look at the same road so people, we now have a ‘multi-terrain’, ‘weather-determining’ and ‘outrageously beautiful’ lane that has been gifted and don’t hesitate to throw the extra wrapper or maybe spray a bit more of ‘betel juice’ to finally add a few missing jewels to the incomplete but glorious ‘Beautification Project’!