Shillong, 23 October (H.S.): The Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday demanded

that the proposed Shillong Peak ropeway project be kept in abeyance or scrapped

unless comprehensive environmental and social assessments establish its

viability, questioning the adequacy of public consultation and the potential

impact on forests and water sources.

State Congress secretary Manuel Badwar said the government

had yet to adequately address concerns relating to forest clearance, water

resources, public participation and the safety of the proposed ropeway system.

He said a project of this scale required transparent assessments and

coordinated scrutiny by all relevant departments before implementation.

Referring to documents available on the Meghalaya Institute

of Governance website, Badwar questioned the adequacy of the public

consultation held in 2022, which he said was attended by only 27 people,

including five government representatives. He argued that the limited

participation raised questions about whether the public had been adequately

informed about the project's possible environmental and social implications.

Badwar also cited the consultation records to claim that

around 80 per cent of responses concerning the potential impact on river water

quality were negative. He said the concerns warranted detailed technical

examination and a clear response from the government before the project was

taken forward.

Raising questions about land acquisition and forest

clearance, Badwar referred to figures indicating that approximately 4,000

square metres would be required for the lower terminal and 2,400 square metres

for the upper terminal. He also cited a proposed right-of-way corridor of

around 20 metres along a route of approximately one kilometre, seeking clarity

on the extent of tree felling and forest cover loss.

He further referred to a report attributed to the Tourism

Department's executive engineer, which, according to him, estimated that around

26,000 square metres of land would be required for the development, including

stations and towers, apart from another 19,100 square metres under the right of

way.

Badwar questioned whether the environmental assessment had

adequately examined the project's potential impact on streams, groundwater

movement and catchment areas that contribute to Shillong's water resources.

Citing research by GreenTech, he said at least three streams

had been identified near the proposed project site, while a government document

he referred to reportedly marked stream crossings as not applicable. He said

the apparent discrepancy highlighted the need for detailed field surveys,

mapping and hydrological studies before construction could begin.

He called for the involvement of the Water Resources

Department, Soil and Water Conservation Department, State Pollution Control

Board and geological experts to assess the likely impact on water bodies,

groundwater recharge, forest cover and the surrounding ecosystem.

The Congress leader also questioned the selection of a

monocable gondola system for the proposed ropeway, estimated to cost around Rs

108 crore. He sought an explanation for choosing the technology over bicable

and tricable alternatives, asking whether the available systems had been

evaluated against the project's technical requirements and safety

considerations.

Expressing concern over the suitability of the single-cable

system in a seismically vulnerable region, Badwar said the government should

make public the technical assessments and safety considerations underlying its

decision.

He maintained that the Congress was not opposed to tourism

infrastructure or development but was concerned about what it described as

inadequate public consultation, insufficient environmental research and a lack

of transparency in the project's planning.

Badwar argued that the Tourism Department alone could not

adequately assess a project with implications for forests, water resources and

Shillong's wider urban environment. He said the relevant departments should

jointly examine the project's benefits and potential costs and place their

findings in the public domain.

He also called for a comprehensive assessment of the

project's long-term social consequences, particularly the possible loss of

forest cover and the impact on water sources sustaining communities across

Shillong.

Stressing that public concerns should not be dismissed as

opposition to development, Badwar said credible studies and meaningful

consultation were essential to determine whether the project could proceed

without unacceptable environmental consequences.

He urged the government to publish the relevant assessments,

clarify the proposed land and forest requirements, explain the choice of

ropeway technology and address concerns over water sources and ecological

damage.

Badwar said the project should remain suspended or be

scrapped if the government failed to provide satisfactory answers, adding that

development decisions must be guided by comprehensive research, transparency

and a clear understanding of their long-term implications.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhijit Deb