Shillong, Apr 20: Sensing that this was a fight that it could not win in the court of public opinion, the state government today announced that it had removed Lumpongdeng Island from the proposed five-star resort project at Umiam Lake.
Following the news, members of Green-Tech Foundation (GTF), which had spearheaded the protest, called off their indefinite sit-in at Malki Ground. While GTF had led the initial opposition to the plan to use Lumpongdeng as part of a new luxury tourism resort to be run by the Taj group of hotels, many other bodies have since jumped on the bandwagon, including opposition parties, civil society organisations and pressure groups.
The final straw came today when a body representing local headmen of Ri-Bhoi, the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Shnong, appealed to the government during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong to leave Lumpongdeng alone.
Instead, the resort will be limited to the existing state-owned Orchid Lake Resort, which sits on the shoreline of the Umiam reservoir.
GTF had been against the project because it feared that there would be damage to Lumpongdeng’s natural environment, which is a haven for birds and other animal species. However, the state government always insisted that the plan for Lumpongdeng did not include any permanent structures. Instead, it was meant to be used for special events and experiential tourism and only temporary structures were to be erected so as not to harm the environment. GTF, however, did not accept this assurance.
Left to explain the climbdown to the people, cabinet minister and government spokesperson Wailadmiki Shylla today told reporters that carrying the public along is important when it comes to major projects.
He pointed out that since the headmen of Ri-Bhoi are the direct stakeholders of the area the state decided to remove Lumpongdeng from the project.
Highlighting the rationale behind the project, the minister said it is aimed at generating employment opportunities, particularly for local youth.
Responding to criticism that the government had succumbed to pressure, Shylla maintained that the decision reflects responsiveness rather than weakness and demonstrates that the government prioritises public sentiment and consultation over unilateral action.
Meanwhile, a letter from the Tourism Department confirmed that the 36 acre Lumpongdeng Island has been excluded from the concession agreement signed on February 25, 2026, and that the document will be amended accordingly. It further stated that the proposed luxury resort will now be developed across approximately 30 acres surrounding the existing Umiam Orchid Lake Resort property.
The letter was sent by the Tourism Department to GTF. The organisation’s chairman, H Bansiewdor Nonglang, who had been undergoing treatment at Woodland Hospital, headed to Malki Ground in the evening to announce the decision to end the protest. Nonglang had been on hunger strike since April 9, until his health deteriorated, leading to his hospitalisation late last week.
