SHILLONG, Oct 6: The Dorbar Shnong of Syntung village under Mawkynrew has reopened the famed Wah Rashi Falls for tourists after it remained closed for close to three years.
Rangbah Shnong of Syntung Robert John Pale said the revenue generated will be used to pay the salaries of the teachers of Syntung Secondary School.
Given the frequent protests by the teachers against non-payment of salaries, the village took it upon itself to support them through monthly contributions for the past three years.
While the Syntung Middle English School follows an ad hoc pattern, the Secondary level is funded by the Dorbar Shnong itself. Over the past few years, the Dorbar Shnong has been paying three of the school’s Secondary level teachers from its own fund.
“A certain amount of fund generated from the tourist spot will be reserved for the teachers’ salaries,” Pale said.
The Dorbar Shnong has urged the visitors to abide by the conditions as laid down for their safety and security.
The boats were destroyed by the devastating floods and the Dorbar bought two boats while another was donated by Tata Steel. The Syntung village is 80 km from Shillong.
The Dorbar Shnong has taken adequate measures to ensure the safety of visitors, keeping in mind the March 2020 incident of lynching of one person by a mob near Syntung.
“Though the place of occurrence was not in Syntung but a nearby village, we have been constantly spreading awareness not just in our village but in the nearby villages as well. We are also working closely with the police and local volunteers to ensure the safety of the visitors,” Pale said.
