By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 23: The State Congress on Friday questioned the environmental assessment and public consultation process for the proposed Shillong Peak ropeway project, demanding that it be kept in abeyance or scrapped unless comprehensive studies establish its environmental and social viability.
State Congress secretary Manuel Badwar said the government had failed to adequately address concerns over forest clearance, water sources, public participation and the safety of the system. A project of this scale, he argued, required transparent research and coordinated assessment by the relevant departments.
He challenged the 2022 public consultation, citing an attendance sheet that recorded only 27 participants, of whom five were government representatives and only a handful were local residents from Laban and surrounding areas. Around 80 per cent of responses on water quality impact were negative, he noted, arguing that limited consultation could not adequately address concerns over water sources and the environment.
Badwar also raised questions on land use, citing a lower terminal of 4,000 square metres, an upper terminal of 2,400 square metres, and a right-of-way corridor about 20 metres wide extending for roughly one kilometre. He referred to figures showing approximately 26,000 square metres for stations and towers plus 19,100 square metres under the corridor, and called for clarity on the full impact on the landscape and natural resources.
On water sources, he pointed to research identifying at least three streams in the project area, while a government report marked stream crossings as “not applicable.” He sought a detailed assessment involving the Water Resources Department, Soil Conservation Department, Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board and geological experts, including hydrological mapping.
Badwar further questioned the choice of a monocable gondola system, estimated at Rs 108 crore, over bicable or tricable alternatives, citing safety and seismic concerns, and demanded that technical and safety assessments be made public.
The Congress, he said, was not opposed to development but insisted on adequate consultation, transparent assessments and a clear accounting of environmental and social costs. The project should be kept in abeyance until these issues are addressed; if satisfactory answers are not provided, it should be scrapped.