Shillong: As many as 545 trees have been felled for the construction of the Shillong Peak Ropeway Project, with the Meghalaya government maintaining that the project alignment has been kept away from key catchment areas and will not affect the Patakhana and Wahingdoh water sources.
The disclosure was made during a meeting and site inspection held on Saturday to address growing concerns over the environmental impact of the ropeway project. The meeting was attended by district administration officials, concerned government departments and representatives of local Dorbars.
Tourism Department Commissioner and Secretary R. M. Kurbah said the tree felling was undertaken after obtaining the required statutory clearances.
She said the initial design of the project envisaged a lower ropeway height, but it was subsequently found that trees reaching around 25 metres could be affected by the alignment.
Following this, the government revised the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and increased the height of the ropeway cable cars and stations to minimise tree cutting.
Kurbah also sought to address concerns over the impact of the project on water sources, stating that there are no water sources in the vicinity of the project site that would be adversely affected by construction.
She said the alignment had been deliberately kept away from the main catchment area, adding that the Patakhana and Wahingdoh water sources would not be affected by the project.
Officials said large-scale plantation activities are being undertaken as compensation for the trees felled for the project. They added that additional trees would be planted if more land is made available for plantation.
The meeting and subsequent site inspection were held as part of efforts to address concerns raised by local residents and Dorbars over tree felling, protection of water sources and the overall environmental impact of the project.
On safety concerns, officials said the design and safety standards of the ropeway had been reviewed by IIT Delhi. Various technical measures, including ground stabilisation during construction, are also being implemented.
J. P. Singh, Resident Manager and Project Head of construction company KEC-TCL, said safety would be given the highest priority during the construction of the project.
Meanwhile, Iosterston Sun, president of the Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun Shnong, expressed support for the project and said the Dorbar would extend all possible cooperation for its timely completion.
The Shillong Peak Ropeway is Meghalaya’s first major passenger ropeway project and has been officially targeted for completion by 2028. However, the construction company has said it will make efforts to complete the project ahead of the scheduled deadline.