Shillong, July 17: Traditional heads of West Jaintia Hills have urged Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh to use the Kupli river for water sports activities to boost eco-tourism.
Duriing a recent visit to the area by a delegation led by Lyngdoh, the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Iooski-Saphai Circle submitted a memorandum to him for a dedicated initiative to clean and rejuvenate the Kupli river to promote eco-tourism and environmental conservation.
Additionally, they proposed the development of eco-friendly water sports activities and other sustainable tourism activities along the river.
Lyngdoh visited the Kupli Orchid Resort in Priang village, West Jaintia Hills, as part of an inspection of state-run tourism infrastructure. He was accompanied by local MLA, Nujorki Sungoh,Tourism Director Brenda L. Pakyntein, and other officials from the department.
During the visit, the minister took a boat ride at the resort to assess the tourism potential of Kupli and interacted with local residents. In a meeting held at the resort, the delegation from the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Iooski-Saphai Circle also urged the government to tap into the tourism potential of 13 villages in the Chutwakhu–Saphai corridor.
They proposed that these villages be declared dedicated tourism zones. They also urged the government to map and include these villages under the department’s jurisdiction so that residents could access government schemes, financial support, and training sessions.
