Shillong, October 16: The Meghalaya government has maintained that all necessary procedures and statutory clearances have been complied with for the Shillong Ropeway project, while describing grievances raised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) over the conduct of public hearings as an internal matter of the locality.
Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Tourism R.M. Kurbah on Friday said the government had explained the project’s technical details, environmental safeguards and approvals to representatives of the JAC during a meeting held on Thursday. “The JAC raised grievances regarding how the public hearing was done. We told them this is an internal matter which the government cannot interfere with. I cannot say if the Dorbar informed the public because I am not part of that committee,” Kurbah said. She explained that the Tourism Department follows the established practice of consulting traditional village authorities before implementing projects and had issued notices to the concerned Dorbar Shnongs through their respective headmen.
According to Kurbah, the department possesses documentary evidence of the communications, which was shared with the JAC during the meeting. “We cannot go to the public directly. We always go to the Shnong, so it is the Shnong’s prerogative how they handle the public. We have always taken NOC from the Dorbar,” she said.
Kurbah further maintained that the ropeway project had been in the public domain since 2015, with consultations held in 2022 and the foundation stone laid by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma in 2024. “This is not a project of two years. Where is it that public would not have noticed?” she questioned.
On statutory compliance, Kurbah said the government had obtained the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and approvals from various authorities, including the Forest Department, Airports Authority of India, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Raid Laban Dorbar Pyllun and the concerned Union Ministry. She said the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and the various clearances obtained had been explained to the JAC representatives.
Addressing environmental concerns, particularly allegations that the project could affect watershed and catchment areas, Kurbah said officials from the Public Health Engineering Department, municipal authorities and environmental experts had clarified that the ropeway would not adversely affect water retention. She explained that an earlier DPR proposing a cable height of 25 metres near a water source had been rejected because it would have required extensive tree felling. The government subsequently revised the alignment and increased the height to 40 metres to minimise environmental impact.
Kurbah said the revised project would require the cutting of 544 trees along a stretch measuring over 900 metres, with compensatory plantation to be undertaken at ten times the number of trees felled. She added that the Forest Department had indicated that compensatory plantation would have to be carried out at another location due to the lack of suitable space within Lumshillong.
Explaining the project design, Kurbah said the upper station would be located at the existing Shillong Viewpoint, while the second station would be established at a former nursery site. The ropeway would consist of six towers, each occupying an area of approximately 15 by 15 metres, with greenery and retaining walls incorporated into the project design.
Meanwhile, Director of Tourism B.L. Pakyntein said Thursday’s meeting, chaired by Kurbah, was attended by officials from various departments and the project’s environmental specialist, who presented details of the safeguards and permissions obtained. She said the Tourism Department had secured the necessary NOCs from the Dorbar Shnong and entered into a lease agreement before proceeding with the project.
Responding to allegations concerning inadequate public consultation, Pakyntein said the department had written to all seven Rangbah Shnongs, requesting them to mobilise residents to participate in the public hearing. She maintained that the department had followed the established procedure of engaging with communities through their traditional village authorities.
Pakyntein further explained that the tender process was initiated only after the NOC had been obtained from the Dorbar Shnong. She said the selected contractor was required to obtain the necessary licences, including a trading licence from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). However, she acknowledged that the trading licence remained pending following objections raised by the JAC.
On the legal aspect, Pakyntein said the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the ropeway project had already been disposed of by the Meghalaya High Court. She also referred to the environmental clearance obtained for the project and rejected allegations that the initiative had been pursued secretly or without adequate public information.
Describing the proposed ropeway as an iconic tourism project for Meghalaya, Pakyntein reiterated that the department remained open to further discussions with concerned groups to clarify outstanding issues.
Meanwhile, ahead of the JAC’s planned protest rally on Saturday, Kurbah appealed to the organisers to ensure that the demonstration remained peaceful. “They informed us they have planned a peace rally tomorrow and we appealed to ensure it is peaceful and no untoward incident should happen,” she said.
