SHILLONG : The Green Tech Foundation Meghalaya on Thursday intensified its protest against the proposed tourism project on Lumpongdeng Island in Umiam Lake by staging a demonstration in front of the Secretariat and announcing an indefinite hunger strike.
The organization accused the state government of failing to respond to its repeated appeals to halt or exempt the implementation of tourism-related development on the island. According to the group, the project poses a serious threat to the fragile ecosystem of Lumpongdeng Island.
Chairman of the foundation, H Bansiewdor Nonglang, stated that the protest was being carried out peacefully and without disrupting public order. He stressed that the group’s objective is solely to protect the environment and not to create any law-and-order situation.
“We are not creating any disturbance. We are only against the destruction of the environment of Lumpongdeng Island. We have already submitted our concerns to the government and met the concerned authorities,” Nonglang said.
He also questioned allegations by authorities that the protesters were obstructing traffic, pointing out that vehicles, including buses, were being allowed to park in the same area.
The Green Tech Foundation Meghalaya has raised strong objections to the development of the Taj Umiam Resort & Spa project on Lumpongdeng Island, citing concerns over how construction activities, including the transportation of heavy machinery, would impact the island located in the middle of the lake.
Clarifying their stand, Nonglang said the organization is not opposed to development as a whole but has specifically demanded that Lumpongdeng Island be excluded from the project. “We are not against the entire project, but we are asking the government to exempt the 36 acres allocated on Lumpongdeng Island,” he added.
Secretary General Ritre Lyngdoh informed that a formal petition has already been submitted to the government seeking cancellation of the project on the island.
Meanwhile, Nonglang warned that the hunger strike would continue indefinitely, even in the event of arrest. “We have informed the police that even if we are arrested and sent to jail, the hunger strike will continue from behind bars,” he said.
The protesters are demanding a written assurance from the government confirming the withdrawal of the project and its associated contracts from Lumpongdeng Island. The foundation has made it clear that they will not withdraw from the protest site until such assurance is provided.