Shillong, April 10: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said the proposed Taj Resort and Spa will be located in the existing Orchid Umiam property
This was in response to the allegations by the Green-Tech Foundation regarding the move of the government to construct buildings in Lumpongdeng Island.
Sangma reiterated that no permanent structures can come up in the Lumpongdeng Island as per the MoU, and the island will be used for activities with temporary structures.
On government’s focus on local benefits, Sangma said, “We need five stars but at the same, we also need small restaurants and we also need homestays so that local people can benefit.”
“While these concerns are being noted, let me assure the citizens of our state that we are ensuring that a balance is struck between overall economic development and balance between our environment and at the same time ensuring that high end luxurious resorts come in but at the same time, smaller homestays and facilities where our local people benefit from it do also come up. We will require everybody’s support to ensure that we are able to take this vision forward and I hope that this clarification will help people understand the larger strategy and the larger objective that our government has,” he said.
The Meghalaya Tourism Department has issued a clarification that the Consent to Establish (CTE) issued by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) for the proposed Taj Umiam Resort & Spa is a provisional document.
In a statement issued on Friday, the department said “the Consent to Establish (CTE), issued by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board, is a provisional document. Any construction activity related to the project shall be undertaken only after the final DPR is examined and approved by the Tourism Department, strictly in accordance with the terms of the concession agreement, which explicitly prohibits any permanent construction on the island.”
Regarding the concerns raised by sections of the public regarding the ecological impact of the proposed development in the Umiam area, the department said that no permanent construction will be permitted on Lumpongdeng Island under the proposed Taj Umiam Resort & Spa project at Umiam.
The department said the 5-Star luxury resort will be constructed on the land where the existing Orchid Lake Resort stands, and not on the island.
“As per the Concession Agreement signed between Directorate of Tourism and Umiam Hotels Pvt Ltd (SPV) for the development, operations and maintenance of property, Orchid Lake Resort at Umiam, Ri Bhoi District, Meghalaya, into a 5-Star Luxury Resort under the brand of ‘Taj Umiam Resort & Spa,’ it is clarified that no permanent construction shall be undertaken on the Lumpongdeng island,” the department said.
“The resort will be constructed on the land where the Orchid Lake Resort exists.
The department added that the decision to disallow permanent structures on the island was taken at a meeting of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGM) chaired by the Chief Minister on July 8, 2025, prior to the issuance of the tender document.
“Only non-intrusive, seasonal or temporary structures designed using lightweight, modular and sustainable materials which can be disassembled or relocated as needed, similar to the activities taken up at Ward’s Lake,” will be allowed on the island, it said.
This condition has been incorporated in tender no. M/D Tour/Tech/98/2024/Pt-II/1, dated October 23, 2025, and in the concession agreement signed on February 25, 2026, between the Directorate of Tourism and Umiam Hotels Pvt Ltd.
The department further noted that as per existing statutory provisions, construction is permissible on the island outside the buffer zone of 50 meters from the High Flood Level, as mandated under the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017 and Meghalaya Water Bodies (Conservation and Protection) Rules 2023.
