Shillong: Shillong officials want to talk. The Tourism Department renewed its invitation on Wednesday for the Joint Action Committee to discuss the Shillong Peak Ropeway project. Protesters want to stop it. The department offered a direct chat, a formal multi-stakeholder meeting, or informal talks with senior officers.
Opposition is growing on the ground. Locals fear for U Lum Shyllong and the city's water security. The Tourism Department said it respects these concerns. They have already held five meetings since August. These included a site inspection on August 8 with the Raid Laban Dorbar Pyllun and a public consultation on November 4.
Engineers claim the design is safe. The 913-metre passenger ropeway avoids water sources. Maps show springs sit between 500 metres and one kilometre from the alignment. Towers will stand on a ridge away from water. The Mawphlang dam catchment sits on a different ridge entirely. Cables will pass above the forest to save trees. An Environment and Social Impact Assessment underwent an independent review. A camera-trap study also took place alongside the Forest Department.
The Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority manages the work. The New Development Bank and PM-DevINE provide the cash. Designers followed European safety rules. An IIT reviewed the plans. The Indian Air Force, the Indian Army, and the Airports Authority of India already signed off on the project. Central rules exempt the site from environmental clearance.
The department insists the project boosts the local economy. It targets jobs for youth, homestays, and taxi drivers. The lower terminal sits on old Forest Department nursery land. The Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun provided the upper terminal site. The department said, "We would continue placing assessments before the public and consider further views." Concerned groups should head to the Directorate of Tourism in Shillong to be heard.
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