The MoT has identified the biggest man-made lake in Meghalaya, the Umiam Lake (Barapani), as a mega tourist destination for its potential in tourism, officials said.

"The Union Ministry of Tourism has selected Umiam lake here among the 45 mega tourist destinations selected all over the country in consultation with the concerned state governments," official sources said yesterday.

The Union Ministry has identified 45 tourism projects out of which 30 have already been sanctioned, officials said.

According to the tourism officials, a mega tourist destination like Umiam will get Rs 25 crore and the Ministry will contribute Rs 50 crore under the scheme, Product / Infrastructure Development for Destinations and circuits.

Umiam Lake is a reservoir located 15 km north of Shillong city It was created by building a dam on the Umiam river in the early 1960s for generating electricity and is one of the hydel projects in the NE. The lake serves as a major tourist attraction and is also a popular destination for water sport and adventure facilities. Tourists visit this spot for kayaking, water cycling, scooting and boating.