JOWAI: The famous tourist destination in West Jaintia Hills is Shnongpdeng, a village on the bank of the Umngot that borders East Khasi Hills, besides Dawki. These two places have attracted thousands of tourists from outside the State as well as abroad.
Another village on the river bank is lesser-known Darang.
With an aim to boost tourism in Jaintia Hills, the District Administration in collaboration with Darang Tourism Promotion and Development Society (DTPDS) , the District Tourism Department and the office of the Sub-Divisional Officer, Amlarem Civil Sub-division, organised a winter tourism fest on Tuesday at the beautiful rocky and sand beach of Darang village on the other side of the Umngot. The fest began on February 25 and will conclude on March 11.
Local MLA Stephanson Mukhim, who unveiled the memorial stone laid down by DTPDS on Day 1, lauded the effort of DTPDS and the Dorbar Shnong for promoting tourism.
DTPDS head Reaching-son Kongwang said the Dorbar shnong has entrusted the youths of the village to promote tourism which led to the constitution of the Darang Tourism Promotion and Development Society.
“Our main objective is to encourage the local unemployed youth to be independent. Today’s youth eagerly wait for government jobs, which is not easily available. So we are encouraging them to look for alternatives with self-determination,” Kongwang told The Shillong Times.
