Shillong, April 14: Seeking to quell rising public concern and ongoing protests over the proposed hospitality project at Umiam Lake, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Tuesday categorically asserted that no permanent construction will be allowed on Lumpongdeng Island, even as the government presses ahead with its broader tourism development plans centred around the Orchid Lake Resort at Barapani.
The clarification comes at a time when resistance continues to intensify on the ground, with members of the Green-Tech Foundation persisting with their hunger strike, demanding the immediate scrapping of the proposed luxury resort and spa project entrusted to Indian Hotels Company Limited. The State government has already handed over over 66 acres of land for the project, including 36 acres at Lumpongdeng Island and 30 acres earmarked for the redevelopment of the Orchid Lake Resort along the water’s edge, triggering a wave of environmental and cultural anxieties.
Addressing media persons in Shillong, Conrad Sangma sought to dispel what he described as widespread confusion, reiterating that all permanent infrastructure related to the project will be confined strictly to the Orchid Barapani site, while the island will remain ecologically undisturbed and preserved as a natural tourism experience.
“Yes, in fact it’s quite unfortunate that they are not satisfied with it because that is the fact of the matter. The fact as I said, I will repeat, the construction is going to take place in the current location where the Orchid Barapani is there, That is where the actual construction of the hotel will take place. It’s a lease that has been given to the concerned agency from the government site. So it’s a long term lease, and the island is going to be maintained. It’s ecosystem is going to be maintained. It’s environment is going to be maintained, and it is going to be a kind of a unique experience for the tourist to be able to go and experience the the island. So that’s really what the purposes is as a mention.”
He further emphasised that only temporary, eco-friendly structures—similar to those erected in the past using bamboo and natural materials—may be permitted on the island for limited purposes such as hosting events, without causing environmental damage.
“Yes, they could be like before there were certain temporary infrastructures, some small huts were created earlier with bamboo and natural stuff, that’s the kind of stuff in case tomorrow Some event needs to be organized there to give it a special moment, so temporary structures which are mostly going to be natural based without impacting the environment there is going to be done, we have made that clear in our agreement also and we have communicated again to the concerned companies who are going to be involved in this project that no permanent construction will be allowed in the island. So I think the matter is quite clear, there is no need for any confusion and the concerned people who are concerned about this particular aspect and they can be rest assured that no such construction will take place and we urged them that they should corporate you should work. This is for the larger development of tourism in the state. Their concerns have been addressed, their concerns in fact, were already addressed from day one. We made it very clear that they will not be in the construction there and therefore there was no issue actually from day one, even now there is no issue. So there is no need for any kind of protest in the way they are putting up putting it up right now. So we have made it clear that there will be no construction and we have made it clear from day one and we still stick to it.”
On the issue of alleged tree felling at the site, the Chief Minister distanced the project and the company from the incident, stating that preliminary findings point to the involvement of certain individuals and not the agency entrusted with the project.
“We have clearly mentioned It is a police is clarified that there was a individuals, were imported? There is not a very, the company was not involved at all. The companies are not even started the work, so there was certain individuals, the police has filled, you know, has filled report their given a report to us that there was certain individuals who are there who were involved in that tree felling. It is not the company. It is nothing to do with the project. So it’s very very clear and therefore the citizens the people and the concerned into individuals should be restored. That there is no question of damaging the island and there is no question of any construction out there.”
Even as the government maintains that environmental safeguards have been built into the agreement and that the island’s ecosystem will remain untouched, the standoff continues to unfold, with protesting groups refusing to relent and insisting that the project, in any form, threatens the fragile ecological balance and cultural sanctity of Lumpongdeng Island.
Construction at Orchid Barapani Only, No Permanent Structures on Lumpongdeng: Govt
