At Chimitap village in Balpakram, Senggai G Momin will lead ‘Bat, Caves and Conservation: Chimitap’, a project focused on bats, limestone caves and biodiversity associated with them.
Shillong, Sep 27: From protecting bats and limestone caves in the Balpakram landscape to keeping alive the traditional fibre craft of Wahkhen, two Meghalaya-led projects have been selected under the Green Hub × Royal Enfield Conservation Grants 2026 for the Northeast.
The two projects are among 15 selected from 26 proposals, with 17 grantees receiving support for community-led conservation, livelihoods and sustainability initiatives across the region.
Protecting bats, caves and a fragile ecosystem
At Chimitap village in the Balpakram landscape of South Garo Hills, Senggai G Momin will lead “Bat, Caves and Conservation: Chimitap”, a project focused on bats, limestone caves and the biodiversity associated with them.
The project will combine biodiversity surveys with community participation and conservation education, involving local youth, schools, village leaders and forest staff.
The initiative also proposes responsible ecotourism, awareness materials and volunteer networks to encourage greater local stewardship of the caves and their surrounding habitats.
For a region where caves are an important part of Meghalaya’s natural landscape, the project seeks to put communities at the centre of their protection.
Keeping Wahkhen’s fibre tradition alive
In Wahkhen village of Pynursla, the conservation grant will support a very different but equally local story.
Deiphimo Khar Syiemiong and Jied Kharbani will work on “Thain Syrïa – Looping the Fibres of Wahkhen Back to Life”, aimed at strengthening the traditional Thain Syrïa craft and preserving knowledge of thread-making.
The project proposes a well-equipped workshop where artisans can work, while young people and community members can receive hands-on training.
The initiative also aims to create livelihood opportunities, encourage cultural exchange and strengthen artisan networks around a craft whose traditional knowledge is increasingly vulnerable.
Conservation beyond forests and wildlife
The Meghalaya projects form part of a wider Northeast portfolio that includes work on amphibians in Nagaland, pangolins in Arunachal Pradesh, restoration of wild food plants for bears in Sikkim, climate-resilient livelihoods in Assam and community-based tourism around Loktak Lake in Manipur.
The 2026 grants are supported through a partnership involving Royal Enfield Social Mission, The Habitats Trust, ATREE, and the Sarat Chandra Kagti Charitable Trust.
Rather than treating conservation only as protection of wildlife or forests, the projects link it with livelihoods, culture, education and community stewardship.
