Shillong: Thma u Rangli Juki (TUR) is fighting the proposed Rs 151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project. The group labeled the venture a tourism gimmick. This opposition arrives just one day after the Raid Laban Dorbar Pyllun backed the project and pledged to help speed it up.
TUR member Angela Rangad warned that clearing 545 trees will wreck the local ecosystem. The project threatens water security in an area already suffering from severe shortages. Forests act as ecological sponges, she noted. Removing trees disrupts subsurface aquifers and local microclimates. The group fears that clearing these steep slopes will trigger landslides and destroy local streams.
"We are against mindless, short-sighted infrastructure projects that are merely tourism gimmicks threatening the water security and safety of residents," Rangad said. She argued that the town needs better roads and public transit, not luxury cable rides. TUR rejected claims that the 896-metre line would fix traffic jams. Instead, the activists believe it will draw even more cars into cramped residential streets.
The organization also slammed the late-surfacing claims that the ropeway would help transport produce or ferry workers. They suggest the massive budget should go toward sustainable trails or youth jobs. TUR is demanding an immediate halt to the construction. They insist the long-term ecological destruction far outweighs any potential gains for tourists.
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