Worried about unattended garbage, and especially plastics, an image of a littered tourist spot of Meghalaya has gone viral on the social media.
The caption of the photo, which showed tons of garbage dumped between a stack of stones, read, “I’d rather have my Northeast India left unexplored than being ruined by as***les.”
Meghalaya, popularly known as the clod-shrouded sapphire, is one of the most beautiful states in India. Its capital, Shillong, also known as the Scotland of the East, and is rated to be the most beautiful hill station in the country.
Riding on the beauty of the landscape and hospitable culture of the tribal people, during the last one decade, there has been a rapid increase of tourist footfall to the state. But, with the tourists, came the litters.
While the local Khasi and Jaintia tribal population are known across the globe as the cleanest ethnic group, the oafish attitude of a section of budget domestic travellers have started to ruin some of the pristine destinations of Meghalaya.
With the fear of devastation of the environment and the beauty of the spotless destinations, the redditor with the handle “Ronkinng” posted the photo of the littered tourist spot of Meghalaya.
“I have been visiting Meghalaya since I was a child. The only thing that has changed is the influx of tourists after this place was made popular by movies and TV shows. And with them came the litter,” redditor Ronkinng said in a comment.
People from across the globe commented on the photo and requested the tour operators and the government to ensure that the beautiful destinations of Meghalaya are not ruined because of a section of uncivilised tourists.
While the photo with the wild caption has triggered a storm on the social media, it is high time that the stakeholders of Meghalaya’s tourism sector wake up and start addressing the menace with perfection.
The stakeholders should start working on a war-footing to establish beautiful Meghalaya as the paradise on the earth.