Shillong: The proposed Shillong Peak ropeway project has drawn opposition from the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is demanding that it be relocated from Lum Shillong over concerns about deforestation, water scarcity and environmental damage.
Former tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh has defended the clearances obtained for the project while acknowledging that a lack of communication from the government has contributed to the concerns.
The issue came into focus on Thursday after a meeting between the JAC and the Meghalaya Tourism Department failed to reach a conclusion. The committee reiterated its opposition to the project at its proposed location and announced that it would continue its agitation.
Lyngdoh, who was tourism minister when the project was initiated, said the necessary environmental clearances had been obtained and questioned why objections were being raised at this stage.
Why is the JAC opposing the ropeway?
The JAC has demanded that the project be stopped at its proposed location in Lum Shillong and shifted to a more suitable site, citing concerns over tree felling, water availability and its potential impact on the local environment.
JAC secretary Dr Linda Marbaniang said residents of Laban and adjoining areas were concerned about the long-term consequences of losing tree cover, particularly amid concerns over water scarcity in Shillong.
“Our need of the hour is water. We do not want the ropeway there. Please take it somewhere else, where people are in need,” she said after Thursday’s meeting with the Tourism Department.
Marbaniang said residents were also worried about the potential impact on forests, fresh air, medicinal plants and wildlife.
She questioned the Tourism Department’s assertion that the tree felling had not affected any catchment areas, arguing that the loss of tree cover could have environmental consequences. She also pointed to the unusually hot weather experienced by residents.
On why the community had not opposed the project earlier, Marbaniang claimed that residents had not been informed about it and that no public hearing had been held.
She said residents became aware of the project after noticing trees being felled. Work had stopped for some time following the filing of a public interest litigation (PIL), she claimed, but resumed later, prompting the community to organise its opposition.
What does Paul Lyngdoh say?
Lyngdoh has defended the environmental clearances obtained for the project but said the government needed to communicate better with the public.
Responding to the JAC’s objections, he said officials had not come forward to address the concerns, referring to press reports he had seen.
“That is the only problem. I was always talking. I keep talking. I’m talking to you right now. So I think that is what is lacking. It is communication,” he said.
On the environmental clearances, Lyngdoh said the necessary approvals had been sought and obtained in 2022, when he was a member of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council and not the state Assembly.
He said further clearances were subsequently obtained from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also maintained that the local dorbars and the area MLA had not raised objections at any stage.
Questioning the timing of the opposition, Lyngdoh said the concerns could have been raised in 2023, 2024 or 2025 rather than in 2026.
“I do not generally prejudge people. I do not know if they have perused all the relevant documents or they have been guided properly,” he said.
He also emphasised that there was a reasonable timeframe within which objections or complaints should be raised.
Lyngdoh on tree felling and environmental safeguards
Addressing concerns over tree felling and whether planting trees elsewhere could compensate for the loss of green cover in Lum Shillong, Lyngdoh said he was confident that due diligence had been carried out.
He also questioned whether the President of India would have agreed to lay the project’s foundation stone if it violated basic environmental safeguards, given that her name was associated with the event.
While Lyngdoh defended the clearances and the process followed for the project, the JAC has maintained that it does not want the ropeway at the proposed location and has called for it to be shifted elsewhere.
What happens next?
The JAC has announced that it will continue its agitation following Thursday’s meeting with the Tourism Department.
The committee has called for a peaceful rally on October 17, starting at 10 am from the last stop in Laban and proceeding to the project site at the Sericulture Farm.
Marbaniang appealed to Shillong residents to participate in the rally, stressing that the committee intended to maintain peace and avoid any law-and-order situation.
The meeting with the Tourism Department was chaired by Commissioner and Secretary RM Kurbah. Director of Tourism Brenda Pakyntien said the department would submit a report to the government following the discussions.
The JAC continues to demand that the ropeway be relocated, citing environmental concerns and the need to protect the area’s natural resources. Lyngdoh, meanwhile, has defended the clearances obtained for the project and called for better communication from the government.
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