TURA Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday led a team of officials on a 9 km trek towards the foothills of the Nokrek national biosphere to get firsthand experience about the ecological situation prevailing in this crucial forested region and find ways to boost tourism without disturbing the flora and fauna of the region.
The chief minister and his entourage, that included West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Ram Singh, district police chief Dr MGR Kumar, Dadenggre Sub-Divisional Officer Swapnil Tembe and village elders and the youth, swapped their vehicles for sneakers and began the trekking from Chandigre village all the way up towards Daribokgre village, approximately 9 km distance, making use of traditional jungle paths used by villagers since time immemorial.
The chief minister led the team up the steep and slippery paths in sweltering heat. Along the way he interacted with villagers they came across encouraging them to preserve nature.
He directed the officials accompanying him on the trek to map the trekking route from the foothills of Nokrek and to come up with a plan to promote and market the destination to attract tourists.
“The Nokrek region is of immense importance to the ecology of Garo Hills and we need to protect and preserve it. At the same time, we want to understand the potentials of promoting the destination for tourism without disturbing nature,” said the chief minister.
At Daribokgre village, the chief minister took part in a tree plantation programme with school going children and interacted with the villagers.
In his meeting with the villagers, Conrad urged them to take care of their natural surroundings and the Nokrek Biosphere which will go a long way in protecting the environment and also lead to sustainable livelihood for the locals by way of nature tourism.
He also asked the villagers to ensure visiting tourists do not destroy nature’s beauty by littering the place.
