Shillong, Nov 7: The indefinite sit-in by the Joint Action Committee Against Shillong Ropeway Project entered its second day on Saturday near Civil Hospital, here.
The protesters, mostly women, said they will not move until the government scraps the project.
The committee maintained that the area where the project is being built is a water catchment for Shillong and beyond. Lum Shyllong, which spreads from Laitkor Sangmein, is the feeding point for the entire city and also feeds the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme and Umiam Lake, where the hydroelectric power project exists.
“We are against the project basically because it is disturbing the catchment, flora and fauna and is the lungs of Greater Shillong,” said Deborah Marbaniang, president of the JAC.
Asked why the committee did not protest from the beginning, Marbaniang said, “The community as a whole were not informed about the ropeway project. It was done in a hush hush manner and there was no transparency in implementation of the project.”
She hit out at people, especially Rangbah Shnongs who knew the importance of U Lum Shyllong but still gave the go ahead to the project.
According to Marbaniang, Shillong city is already facing water scarcity and residents are being forced to buy water.
“Shouldn’t we be protecting our forests and preserving the water catchments?” she asked, adding the protest is in the interest of the next generation.
The protest is against the Rs 151 crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project, being implemented by the Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority.
The 913-metre ropeway is proposed to connect Madan Laban to an upper terminal near Shillong Viewpoint, with a journey time of five to six minutes.
It is funded through Rs 80.89 crore from the New Development Bank and Rs 70.11 crore under PM-DevINE, and is targeted for completion by October 14, 2028.
The government says it will improve access to the viewpoint, reduce vehicular movement and generate more than 450 direct and indirect employment opportunities.
The government has maintained the project will not affect water sources, catchment areas or the sacred Lum Shyllong site, and that the alignment is 3.15 km away from Lum Shyllong.
It has also said the Umiew catchment, which feeds the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme, lies on a different ridge and will not be affected.
The JAC, however, has questioned the legitimacy of the 2022 public hearing, demanded scrapping of the project, and cited the felling of more than 544 trees.
Opponents argue construction activities, tree loss and increased commercial activity could threaten the catchment’s ecological integrity and water security.
