Clear water
Visible riverbed.
Madhumita Das — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jyotishkardey — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AditiVerma2193 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Prabhat114 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jyotishkardey — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Umngot River, also known as the Dawki River, flows through the small town of Dawki at the foot of the Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, northeastern India, about 30 km southeast of Sohra in a straight line. It is famous for its cleanliness and transparent water, with the riverbed clearly visible. It is counted among India's cleanest rivers and is an important fishing spot for local fishermen, close to the border with Bangladesh. The Dawki suspension bridge, built in 1932, spans the river and is a sight in itself. In 2021 a hydroelectric dam was proposed on the river, but local people opposed it for fear of harming tourism, and it was scrapped. Clear emerald-green water flows between banks of rock and dense forest, so transparent that small wooden boats seem to float in mid-air above the pebbles. Colourful boats line the pebbly shore, and the suspension bridge crosses high above the gorge. Visitors take wooden boats with local boatmen to drift along the river and walk on the pebble banks. The water is usually clearest in the dry season from November to April and turns murky in the monsoon. It gets crowded at weekends.
Visible riverbed.
As if floating.
A suspension bridge.
Dawki, West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, India
November to April.
Yes, with local boatmen.