Shillong, April 9: The proposed tourism projects at Umiam lake, including Lumpongdeng island, will not have any permanent structure on the island, Chief minister Conrad K Sangma clarified on Thursday.
The chief minister’s clarified this following a hunger strike staged by activists of Green-Tech Foundation outside the Secretariat demanding for exemption of the island from any tourism project.
The agreement signed for the project made it clear that “there will be no permanent construction” on the island, Sangma said.
Allaying concern about the island to be converted into a concrete setup, the Chief Minister said, “The concerns are completely wrong. The government has made it clear in the agreement that no permanent structure is going to be allowed in the Island.”
Only temporary structures would be permitted on the island to leverage the location for events.
“Temporary structures, shamianas, pandals and temporary stalls, which are going to be dismantled once the programme is over like we do in Ward’s Lake… will be barely for a week or ten days and then removed,” he said.
“Hence, there will be no impact of any sort on the Island or on the overall flora and fauna in that location,” he added.
Sangma also mentioned that the government decision not to go for permanent structure was despite environmental laws permitting such construction with Forest department’s approval.
“Even though environmentally the laws are allowing it, the Tourism department has taken a firm stand and put in the agreement that no permanent construction will be allowed in that particular Island,” Sangma said.
“I hope with this small clarification, the concerns of the citizens will be addressed,” he added.
