Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya officials met on October 22 to address local pushback against the 151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project. The Department of Tourism hosted the session under the Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority. Tourism Commissioner RM Kurbah and CEO Cyril Diengdoh led the talks. They faced members of the Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun and the Joint Action Committee.
The plan targets better access to the Shillong Viewpoint. Visitors currently struggle with long wait times due to existing restrictions on defence land. The proposed 913-metre ropeway solves this. It uses a monocable gondola system to shuttle people from Madan Laban to the viewpoint in roughly six minutes. Diengdoh noted the project aims to fix access issues while supporting local vendors. He stated, "The project was conceived to address access restrictions at Shillong Viewpoint, one of Meghalaya’s major tourist attractions."
Funding comes from the New Development Bank and the Government of India through the PM-DevINE scheme. The route avoids the sacred Lum Shillong site. Engineers aligned the path after multiple inspections to protect water sources and catchment areas. The electric system eliminates smoke emissions. Officials expect the ropeway to cut vehicle traffic and ease congestion at the site. The project has already secured state and central clearances, including forest approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The government promised to upgrade visitor facilities and vendor stalls at the destination.
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