SHILLONG : Concern is growing among Meghalaya’s tourism stakeholders over a trend they say is leaving some of the state’s most popular destinations dirtier after every holiday season. The Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum (MRTF) has appealed to the state government to immediately step in and stop tourists from cooking along roadsides, riverbanks, viewpoints and other public places, saying the practice is hurting both the environment and the tourism industry.
In a memorandum submitted to Tourism Minister Timothy D. Shira on Wednesday, the forum said it has seen a noticeable rise in day visitors, especially from neighbouring states, arriving with their own food, gas stoves and cooking utensils. Instead of eating at local restaurants or village eateries, many choose to prepare meals in open public spaces before leaving the area. According to the forum, the result is often the same plastic bottles, disposable plates, food leftovers and other waste scattered around tourist destinations, spoiling places that attract thousands of visitors every year.
The matter was discussed during an MRTF meeting attended by representatives of the Federation of Shillong Hotels, Tour Operators Association of Meghalaya, Tour Guides Association of Meghalaya, transport operators, the Clean Sohra Campaign and the Hima Sohra Tourist Assistance Team. Those present agreed that the issue now requires action from the government rather than individual organisations working on their own. Among the suggestions placed before the government is a formal notification banning roadside and open-air cooking by tourists across Meghalaya. The forum also wants the order to be publicised through newspapers, official tourism platforms and social media so visitors are aware of the rules before arriving.
It further proposed that hotels, homestays, resorts and transport operators display the notification prominently, while tourism influencers working with the Department of Tourism help spread the message online. MRTF president Allan West Kharkongor said the state needs a clear rule that leaves no room for confusion. “Roadside cooking and cooking in open public places should simply not be allowed. Once the government officially issues the order, everyone will know where the line is. Goa introduced similar measures, and it helped protect its tourism,” he said.
Kharkongor added that local bodies such as the Durbar Shnong of Sohra have already issued their own restrictions, but a government notification covering the entire state would carry much greater authority.
He also said the forum is not against picnics or tourism. Instead, it wants properly managed picnic areas where visitors can rent cooking equipment if required and dispose of waste responsibly through an organised waste management system.