Shillong, Oct 17: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against Shillong Ropeway, comprising residents of Laban Pyllun has taken out a protest rally from Laban Last Stop to the project site giving Meghalaya government a 10-day ultimatum to scrap or relocate the proposed ropeway project, warning of intensified agitation, including a possible hunger strike, if its demands are ignored.
During a protest rally, JAC secretary Dr. Linda Marbaniang expressed concern over tree felling, environmental damage and the alleged lack of public consultation before construction began.
“We request that they take this project somewhere else because this is not the right place for a tourist spot. We have given the government 10 days to take a decision. If it is negative, if they don’t listen to us, we will extend our agitation,” she said.
Questioning claims that the project posed no environmental threat, Marbaniang linked tree felling to changing rainfall patterns and concerns over local water sources.
“You all live in Shillong; you have seen the rainfall that we used to receive in Shillong is not there anymore. We have cut down so many trees, and this has affected the weather. When there is no rainfall, there is no water, and the springs out here will dry up,” she said.
Marbaniang said residents were initially unaware of the project and had to file Right to Information (RTI) applications to obtain official documents.
“When they started, they did not call for a public hearing; we were unaware of this,” she said, questioning how construction could proceed without what she described as the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) or trading licence. These allegations have not been independently verified.
She also described Lum Shillong as a sacred site that should be preserved, urging the government not to proceed with the project there.
The JAC accused the local Dorbar Shnong of failing to consult residents before the project moved forward. “They have done this thing behind our back. They have not intimated us, they have not called us for a public hearing, and they did not discuss with us whether we wanted it or not. It is a total betrayal from their side,” Marbaniang said.
She added that residents would participate if the government organised a formal public forum.
On possible legal action in the Meghalaya High Court or a hunger strike, Marbaniang said the committee would decide its next steps after the 10-day deadline.
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