SHILLONG: Though Meghalaya has a huge potential to make the State a tourist hub through Sacred Groves, but literally there has not been any plans to preserve the sacred groves except the one at Mawphlang.
Reacting to a query if the State Government has plans to preserve more sacred groves in the State, the Forest and Environment Minister, Prestone Tynsong asserted that the people need to come forward and help the Government to promote and preserve more sacred groves.
“Land here belongs to the people and not to the Government,” Tynsong said even as he recalled that there was a lot of opposition when Government intended to set up an elephant reserve in West Khasi Hills.
Earlier, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council had submitted a proposal of Rs 950 crore to the 14th Finance Commission for its various works including protection of the sacred groves. It may be mentioned that a sacred grove or sacred woods are any grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture and Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world including the tribes of Meghalaya.