By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 3: The growing menace of drug abusers is causing nuisance in Khyndai Lad (Police Bazar) and GS Road, raising safety concerns and damaging Shillong’s image as a tourist-friendly city.
Khyndai Lad, the city’s main commercial and tourism hub, attracts thousands of visitors daily. However, the rising number of drug users loitering in the area has led to harassment of tourists and residents. Bus shelters have turned into resting spots for addicts. The Federation of Shillong Hotels has petitioned the Superintendent of Police, citing increased theft, robbery and harassment linked to the drug menace and warning that it is harming the image of the state’s premier tourist destination.
Residents say pedestrians, both locals and tourists alike, are often approached for money, believed to be used for buying drugs. Despite regular police presence, locals claim there is little sustained effort to clear abusers from public spaces. This open movement of substance abusers and drug peddlers is giving tourists a negative picture of Shillong.
In a parallel development, the Harijan Panchayat Committee (HPC) has approached East Khasi Hills Police seeking approval to form a Youth Volunteer Wing to combat drug peddling in Harijan Colony, modelled on the Village Defence Party system.
HPC secretary Gurjit Singh said the committee wants a community-based mechanism with police support, as the drug problem in the colony has reached alarming proportions. In a letter to SP Vivek Syiem, the HPC stated that despite earlier complaints, effective action had not been taken against peddlers operating openly and targeting local youth.
Following a June 28 general body meeting, the HPC resolved to constitute a Youth Volunteer Wing under its supervision. Volunteers will keep vigil and report suspected activities to police. The committee has requested police to depute an officer to train volunteers on legal procedures, surveillance, safety protocols and coordination. It also proposed issuing identity cards to volunteers, countersigned by the beat house officer.
It urged the SP to treat the matter urgently and begin discussions on training and joint action.
Community initiatives like this, combined with stronger enforcement in hotspots such as Khyndai Lad and GS Road, have been viewed as necessary moves to restore safety and protect Shillong’s tourism reputation.
