ARMY ROAD BLOCK
Since the establishment of Shillong as the capital of the North East Frontier, which was shifted from Nongsawlia in Sohra, the rainiest spot on earth, in the year 1874, army and military establishments were provided, even within the civilian areas including markets. Even in the heart of the capital, there still exist today called the Cantonment area, which does not form part of the Shillong Municipality area. The army had just taken over the Garrison Ground at Laban ,which served as a playground to the sports persons of the areas, where famed football teams from Calcutta, like East Bengal, Mohan Bagan, played exhibition matches with Shillong Xl. But suddenly all this has been prohibited, and also roads through cantonments have been declared out of bounds for civilians. It is however a piece good news that the Union Defence Minister, Nirmal Sitharaman has issued a strict order, that all cantonment rodas in Shillong and the outskirts, should be open to public thoroughfares, specially to ease the congestion of traffic jams in the city.