Meghalaya, long admired for its beauty and charm, is witnessing a worrying fall in tourism as the Dawki stretch of the Umngot River, often called among the clearest in Asia, has turned visibly murky.
Viral videos circulating over the past few weeks show the once crystal clear water clouded and discoloured.
The sudden change in water quality has created an economic emergency for hundreds of families across Dawki, Shnongpdeng and Darrang who rely entirely on the river for their income, reported The Shillong Times.
For years, these communities built their livelihoods around the Umngot’s signature transparency.
Drone shots of boats appearing to float in mid-air had once drawn travellers from all over the world and transformed Meghalaya’s short six-month tourist season into an almost year-round opportunity.
This season, that fragile balance has collapsed. “Business is down almost 80 per cent,” said Alan West Kharkongor, president of the Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum. “Bookings are being cancelled left and right. People come here for crystal clear water; when it is polluted, they simply don’t come.”
In 2024, tourism data reported by The Assam Tribune showed a sharp rise in footfall. Domestic tourist arrivals climbed to 16 lakh in 2024 while international arrivals crossed 2 lakh, marking a striking 700 per cent growth.
Kharkongor added that after a few days of slight improvement in water clarity, the river turned cloudy again on the same morning.
“It re-ignited panic across the entire tourism belt: Shnongpdeng, Darrang, Dawki, and the connecting circuits of Pynursla and Amlarem,” he said as reported by The Shillong Times.
Online discussions and local accounts are placing blame on construction activities along the Shillong Dawki Road project. Locals allege that heavy dumping of red soil, excavation and hill cutting are directly affecting the Umngot and its tributaries, particularly near the site of a planned new bridge.
The decline in water quality is especially distressing because of the role the river has played in reshaping Meghalaya’s tourism economy.
Kharkongor noted that October to April were once considered off season. The Umngot helped convert those months into peak season as its clear winter waters attracted photographers, vloggers and travellers.
Homestays, cafes, campgrounds and adventure operators flourished in the surrounding villages.
“If the water stays dirty, we lose everything we built,” Kharkongor said. He emphasised that the situation now requires a comprehensive response. “We would request the state government to look from every front because these people are getting desperate.”
Viral videos continue to circulate widely, damaging public perception and deepening uncertainty for those whose livelihoods depend on the river.
As Kharkongor pointed out, people should have been earning a decent income from the crystal clear water. Instead, many are facing cancellations and empty booking calendars at a time that should have been the most promising in years.