SHILLONG: Raising an alarm, Dangardop and Lalpani villages situated about 50 kilometers from Mawsynram Block Headquarter on India-Bangladesh International border are almost washed away by river Umngi.
The chairman of JAC for Dangardop and Lalpani Soil Erosion Protection Core Committee Labius Arengh has said that all the villagers in these villages are living on the brink of losing their houses and livelihood.
Stating that the erosion caused by river Umngi has been since the past ten years, he rued that the matter has been reported to the higher authorities concerned and to the local MLA , but no positive response has been received so far from any sources.
He stated that the neglected residents of Dangardop and Lalpani are in great dilemma, and spending sleepless nights as the water of Umngi river is eroding their villages every monsoon season thereby disheartening and endangering their houses and land.
Surprisingly, the International Border Haat (Market) is situated just near Lalpani, and these two villages has great potential for eco-tourism development; if properly tap, Dangardop-Lalpani can also be used as import-export station by harnessing river Umngi for trading activities with neighbouring country -Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the residents of Dangardop-Lalpani has unanimously decided to dig all possible help from all concerned Ministries and Departments both State and Centrally.
They have decided to send a Memorandum to the Chief Minister of Meghalaya and to the Union Ministers concerned for getting protection from river Umngi’s erosion.