Shillong, Apr 26: On the subject of Lumpongdeng Island, Prof Lakhon Kma, who unsuccessfully ran in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, has expressed appreciation for the government’s decision to abandon the project.
Kma said, “Even if it brings economic benefits, if people don’t like certain things and it is going to disturb the sensitive ecological setup, then it makes sense not to do it.”
He questioned the logic of setting up a resort on the island, citing waste disposal concerns. “Having a resort on an island — where will they dispose of their sewage? Umiam Lake is not a drinking water lake, nor is it for bathing, as all the dirt from Shillong via Wah Umkhrah, Umshyrpi, etc., goes there. Why should you add more burden to the lake when all the dirt from Shillong is already pouring into it?” he said.
Kma suggested the state should focus on treating waste before it reaches Umiam. “What we should be more focused on is that, before all the dirt from Shillong reaches Umiam, there should be treatment plants so that the water is treated before being discharged into the lake.”
He also called for strict restrictions on hotels and resorts close to the lake. “There should be restrictions on all hotels and resorts near the lake to prevent them from draining and dumping anything into the lake,” he said.
Kma further called for preserving the “pristine” Lumpongdeng Island in Umiam Lake, urging the state government to avoid any permanent structures that could disturb its sensitive ecological setup.
“Such a pristine island should be left undisturbed. Rather than building any structure, people can visit the island by boat, witness its beauty, and return without staying overnight,” he said.
If any facility is considered, it should be limited to a self-sustaining toilet that does not drain into the lake, Kma added. “You can centralise on that rather than building any structure there,” he said.
Lumpongdeng Island, located in the middle of Umiam Lake, is known for its untouched forest cover and fragile ecosystem. The island had been proposed as a site for a tourism project, sparking opposition from environmentalists and civil society groups who argued that construction would damage biodiversity and further pollute the lake. However, the government maintained that Lumpongdeng would only be used for special events and that no permanent construction would take place there. Instead, the actual resort would be built on the site of the existing Orchid Lake Resort on the shore of the reservoir. This, though, did not satisfy detractors and the government later abandoned the Lumpongdeng aspect, though the rest of the resort will proceed.
On the remarks by Voice of the People Party (VPP) leader Ardent Basaiawmoit on the danger of sex tourism from such projects, Kma was dismissive, saying that the “medieval approach is very wrong.”
“These kinds of statements are also insults to the several spas and herbal parlours across the country where many people have been completely healed of their ailments,” he said. “I don’t know where such parlours exist where you go for a massage and get such activities, in a country where such activities are illegal.”
He said massages using herbal medicines are an art, comparing them to traditional healers who operate shops at Iewduh and charge Rs 200-500. “If they get a spa or a shop that is more decorative and convenient, people can charge a larger sum and increase their livelihood.”
“When it comes to governance, you have to have evidence when you make such statements that spas are going to encourage such activities,” he said.
