JOWAI: Villagers of the Shnongpdeng village under Amlarem Civil Sub-division in West Jaintia Hills have expressed their desire to convert the portion of the river Umngot at Shnongpdeng into a fish sanctuary.
The Dorbar Shnong in its meeting held on June 8, has decided to request the government to declare the portion of the river called Massiah as fish sanctuary.
“This would greatly benefit the villagers as most of them still depend on fishing for their livelihood”, said a letter of the Dorbar Shnong to the West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner.
A delegation of the Dorbar Shnong led by village president, Bnai Syngkrem, village secretary, Lasting Lamin Gadew, HNYF president, Southern War Jaintia, Tarzan Lymba, FKJGP Amlarem unit president, Polestar Syngkrem, KSU Shnongpdeng unit president, Kindly Khyriem and others met the West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner, PS Dkhar on Tuesday on this regard.
“If the portion of the river is declared as fish sanctuary, the community in cooperation with the government will be able to protect and preserve the various kind of fishes which are mostly endemic to the area”, said the Dorbar shnong.
The Rangbah shnong informed that the Village Dorbar in collaboration with a firm from Shillong has also started an eco-tourism venture and home stay accommodation in the village.
“The project includes fresh water scuba diving, camping, angling, rock climbing and many more activities. The community’s ardent hope is to promote Shnong Pdeng as a tourist destination as we believe that we are already blessed with an attractive topography and the beautiful Umngot”, said Syngkrem.
Representatives of the village dorbar has requested the DC to consider the proposed creation of the sanctuary as of one of the projects under the government flagship Integrated Basin Development Programme.
Meanwhile, the Dorbar Shnong also hoped that the hanging bridge across Umngot River constructed by the Border Area Development Agency, which collapsed, would also be completed at the earliest to make their village more attractive to the visitors.
According to the Rangbah shnong of Shnongpdeng, the Deputy Commissioner has assured that he will look into the matter seriously.
