GUWAHATI: Meghalaya has made it mandatory for tourists to hire licenced guides for trekking and other outdoor activities in the East Khasi Hills district.The directive comes on the heels of the death of a Hungarian national Puskás Zsolt and the murder of Indore businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, both in the Sohra (Cherrapunji) area of the district.East Khasi Hills District Magistrate and Chairperson of the District Tourism Promotion Society, Rosetta Mary Kurbah issued the directive in the interest of public safety.Kurbah said mandatory guide services would help prevent tourists from getting lost, injured, or exposed to criminal activities in remote and isolated areas.She said the order would be strictly enforced. The violators would face penalties or be denied access to trekking routes, she added.The administration plans to effectively implement the directive by deploying more trained guides and working with local communities.The dEcomposed body of the Hungarian national was retrieved on April 11, days after he was reported missing. The police suspected that he died after falling from a steep slope.
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