Tensions escalated over the Rs. 151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway project as hundreds of residents led a peaceful rally from Last Stop, Laban, to the project site at Madan Laban today.
Organized by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), demonstrators demanded an immediate halt to the construction, citing severe risks to the ecologically fragile Lum Shyllong catchment area.
The protest follows inconclusive talks between the JAC and the Meghalaya Tourism Department. Activists argue that the felling of 544 trees on steep slopes threatens water security for the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme.
Civil society groups like Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) have backed the agitation, highlighting that 80% of citizens in a prior public consultation warned of water depletion.
"As JAC, our message is clear—we will not stop this agitation. We want the ropeway project to be stopped immediately," stated JAC Secretary Dr. Linda Marbaniang, demanding the project be relocated. The JAC has now given the government an October 26 deadline to scrap the initiative, warning of intensified agitation.
Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary R.M. Kurbah defended the project, maintaining that all environmental clearances are secured and that the alignment is explicitly designed to safeguard key local water sources.