SHILLONG: Pynursla, a quaint village situated 49 km from Shillong, has a long way to go despite earning profits from tourism.
Tourists can be seen flocking the area, stopping to take pictures of the area besotted with viewpoints of the deep, verdant cliffs. The Shillong Times spoke to a few locals to solicit their views about their beloved village.
A laboratory attendant at a reputed college who wished to remain anonymous said Pynursla is known for its tourist spots in Wahkhen which is famous for the ‘king of stones’.
“Another place at Pynter, which has a garden dedicated to the late APJ Abdul Kalam, also attracts a number of tourists and Mawlynnong village, which is Asia’s cleanest village, Nohwet and Shilliang Jashar also fall under Pynursla,” he said.
He also said there is a sacred grove 2 km away from Wahlyngkhat ground in Pynursla.
According to him, people in Pynursla are entrepreneurs as they turn to profit-making in tourism and exporting boulders and stones to Bangladesh as well as agriculture.
Giving his thoughts on Mawlynnong, he said, “People are earning well there.”
As for the exporting business, he claimed that stones and boulders from Rngain village are considered the best and most expensive and the businessmen in Bangladesh have no qualms in shelling out money for the material.
“But the main difficulty is the road starting from the stone quarry at Rngain till Dawki. It is full of potholes and ditches,” he said.
He stated that another challenge faced by the business class is the ban on stone quarrying and sand mining in Pynursla,
On the topic of education, he said there has been an improvement over the years. “Children often go to school at Lyngkyrdem Khatar Blang Higher Secondary School, which has been in existence since the 1960s. From that school, doctors, engineers and professors have emerged,” he added.
Commenting on the Community and Rural Development Block (C&RD), he said, “Yes, somehow it is working.”
Whereas for the civil sub-division, he claimed that the staff of the office of the civil sub-division hardly maintained a proper register and can be seen working only during the market days. “It is unlike the offices in Shillong where a proper attendance is maintained,” he said.
Local taxis fall behind
A local taxi driver expressed concern that even though tourism is at an all-time high, local drivers are unable to make ends meet as tourist vehicles from Assam cash in on the high tourist footfall in the state.
“These vehicles have to be stopped and checked somewhere, probably near Jorabad from where local tourists should take over,” he said, adding, “It is very strict in Guwahati. If this goes on, it will beckon trouble for the state of Meghalaya.”
In terms of agriculture, the taxi driver informed that people are into broom production but fruit cultivation is no longer possible.
“However, the 100-day wage has been helpful for the people here,” he added.
However, not many people who attended the NPP rally on Saturday had much to say.
Others claimed that they don’t know much as they are wage labourers in some other parts.
