The Pelga Falls near Tura

Tura, Sept. 16: When Meghalaya tourism minister Kulert C. Momin led a motley group of officials on an “exploration trip” to the Garo Hills five days ago, he had no idea of what lay in store for him.

Today, everyone who accompanied him is talking of the majestic sight of the Pelga Falls, a hidden treasure that was “discovered” en passant but could soon become one of the state’s popular tourist destinations.

Cascading down from the hills at a spot only three km from here, Pelga Falls merges with the Ganol river at Dalmagre. The landscape is breathtaking in its beauty, as the tourism minister and his entourage found out.

“Pelga is a visual wonder and can give some of the better-known tourist spots a run for their money. Who would have thought that such a place exists so near the town?” K.M. Momin, a tourism department official who accompanied the minister on his trip, said.

There is already talk of building a hanging bridge, a viewpoint, machans (tree houses) and a host of other facilities to turn Pelga into a full-fledged tourist destination. The only thing required is the official nod.

Kulert Momin would possibly not have had the privilege of “discovering” Pelga had he not been compelled to look for ways to tide over the nagging power crisis in Tura and the rest of the Garo Hills.

Dalmagre is a typical village, without roads or other amenities. Indeed, the 150-odd residents do not know any world beyond their village. However, when the minister and his entourage visited the area, the villagers happily helped them raft through the strong current of the Ganol. “The raft ride across the turbulent Ganol was a little frightening. But in the absence of roads and bridges, it was our only means of transport,” said Shilpi Sangma, an entrepreneur who was in the group.

With elections round the corner, Kulert Momin is willing to do “just about anything” to develop the area. His first priority is to tap Pelga’s potential to turn the “land of the dark hills”, a sobriquet bestowed on the Garo Hills, into the “land of lights”.

He has already requested the Meghalaya State Electricity Board to generate hydel power at Pelga and set up a mini hydel project either at Tura or Tosakgre village, upstream of the Ganol. However, according to experts, only 1.5 MW can be possibly generated at Pelga, while the minimum requirement of Tura town is 8 MW.