SHILLONG, JAN 29: The Sonapyrdi Tourism and Economic Development Society (STEDS) will organise the first of its kind ‘Lukha festival’ – which is named after one of the biggest rivers in the Jaintia Hills region, on February 1-2.
Addressing media persons here on Tuesday, president of the society Daiaperbha Lamare said the two-day festival will be held near the bank of the Lukha River, which is located in East Jaintia Hills District’s Narpuh Elaka.
“The objective of the festival is to promote tourism in order to create employment to the local youths, to change the people’s perception that the district is only about mining and to preserve the river,” Lamare said.
He said the first beauty pageant entitled as ‘Miss Narpuh’ will also be organised during the festival. The other highlights of the festival include fashion show, boat racing, diving, swimming, trekking, photography competition etc.
Lamare said the expenditure for organising the festival is being taken care by the society alone without getting financial support from the government. He also lamented that the MDA government has failed to extend any special package to the district and said, “The government is sanctioning many schemes only to districts in Garo Hills.”
With regards to the Lukha River turning blue in colour for the past many years, the president alleged the cement plants to be responsible for polluting the river by discharging chemical waste into the river.
He also rejected the claims of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board that the reason for this abnormal phenomenon was due to coal mining activities.
Lamare however said that for the past two years, there is no sign of the river changing its colour and the reason is because the cement factories have stopped discharging waste directly to the river.
“In the future if such incident happens again, the society will be compelled to file a petition before the Supreme Court as well as the National Green Tribunal against the cement plants,” he said.
By Our Reporter
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