Two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic and the harsh disruption they have caused have been acutely felt by the tourism sector of Sohra, one of the most popular spots for visitors to Meghalaya.
The natural beauty of the area has been a constant draw for tourists from inside and outside the state, but the pandemic has left the people who built their livelihoods around tourism shattered.
Speaking to Highland Post, Sohra MLA Gavin Mylliem said that the pandemic has changed everything and people in the tourism sector are suffering.
All homestays, hotels, restaurants, etc have stopped functioning and he predicted that it would take time for the sector to pick up, even if a semblance of normality returns.
“People are suffering, especially those who have taken loans to build their businesses, and it will take time for the tourism sector to pick up again even if there are no more lockdowns,” Mylliem said. “We would like to provide relief to the people in this sector but nothing is easy in a crisis like this because the state government is also facing a financial crunch.”
However, the presence of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has, to some extent, helped the people in the rural areas earn some money despite the lockdown.
“There has been a shift of livelihood and the presence of MGNREGS has somehow helped people in the region to some extent and at least prevented starvation,” he said.
