CM visits Mawlynnong, becomes the first

SHILLONG, DEC 6: Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma on Friday visited Mawlynnong, known as the cleanest village in Asia, and inaugurated the River Valley Eco Park in the neighbouring village of Riwai, where he also took a walk across the famous Living Root Bridge in the village.

According to the Rangbah Shnong of Riwai, Sangma is the first chief minister of the state to have visited the area till date.

Inaugurating the Eco Park, Sangma congratulated the people of Riwai for initiating a community action which is already noticed not only by the people of the state or the country, but the world over, he said.

Revealing his plan for the people of the area, Sangma said that he want to create an association amongst two-three villages, including Riwai and Mawlynnong, with other tribal villages of the country, where they will have some kind of exchange programmes and learn about each other’s way of life and creative ideas.

“This will be a learning experience for all of us – a kind of exchange of ideas – and that itself will put these villages on a global map”, Sangma said.

The Eco Park is a community asset and has been created on a land measuring about seven acres and includes a skywalk constructed with cane and bamboos overlooking the Bangladesh plains among other features. “It is an outcome of a creative mind”, Sangma exclaimed.

At Mawlynnong, Sangma was touched by the creativity and the natural way that the villagers had maintained their village.  “You have blended your way of life with the creation of God, which is a sign of your gratitude to the Creator”, he said.

“Mawlynnong is known for the wonderful things, you have shown what a village should be like, you have shown how a village is capable of transforming the way we live” Sangma said, adding, “I am sure the children of Mawlynnong would not want to leave this place and go to overcrowded cities, but in order to make them remain in the village, we must be able to create more opportunities out of this concept.”

In order to have more high-end tourists visiting the place, Sangma requested the people of Mawlynnong to identify a land where government can construct a small take-off and landing facility for small aircrafts.

Sangma also said that he would send experts along with department officials to the area within this December or January, make them stay in the village for two-three days and discuss and plan what they as a community would want to take up and also suggested having some kind of tourism summit at Mawlynnong to promoting eco-tourism, village and rural tourism.

Sangma also said that there’s a need to have proper water supply in a place like Mawlynnong.

Local legislator and minister for border areas development Prestone Tynsong, parliamentary secretaries Celestine Lyngdoh and Justine Dkhar were among others who accompanied the chief minister during his visit.

Earlier, Sangma also visited the Tourism Resort being constructed at Pongkung and inspected the work progress.- By Our Reporter