Shillong, October 25: Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) has formally objected to the proposed ₹151-crore Shillong Peak Ropeway Project and urged the State Government to halt and scrap it immediately. The organisation sent its objection by email on Saturday to B M Syiem, Chief Ropeways Inspector cum Member Secretary of the Licensing Authority. It was submitted in response to the government’s notice inviting suggestions and objections on the project. In the letter, signed by Angela Rangad on behalf of TUR, the group said the project rests on a “deeply flawed process,” threatens the region’s ecology and lacks public support. TUR said its stand aligns with the opposition voiced by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) Against Shillong Ropeway.
Consultation questioned : TUR rejected the government’s claim of having secured community consent, calling it a misrepresentation. It said residents of Laban Pyllun, Lum Shyllong and Shillong as a whole were neither properly informed nor meaningfully consulted. According to the group, there was no clear information about the project and no transparent public hearing on whether the project was needed at all.
The organisation said the public had clearly rejected the project, pointing to large, peaceful protest rallies and meetings. It noted that a 10-day ultimatum had already been served on the State Government to withdraw the project. TUR added that it had issued a press release in early August opposing what it called “useless borrowing and spending.”
Water security at risk : The group said the project lies in the Lum Shyllong catchment area, a vital water source for Shillong. It claimed that over 545 trees have already been felled, contrary to official presentations. TUR warned that deforestation on the ridge threatens local springs and could expose the city to acute water scarcity and a serious ecological crisis.
‘No need for ropeway’ : TUR argued that the ropeway is redundant, as the road from Upper Shillong to the Shillong View Point has already been widened into a four-lane highway. It termed the spending of ₹151 crore of public money on what it called an unnecessary secondary transit option “fiscally irresponsible and ecologically devastating.” The group also said routing tourist traffic through the narrow roads of Laban Pyllun to reach the ropeway stations would worsen Shillong’s traffic problems.
Landslide and seismic concerns : Describing the ropeway as a “vanity” project, TUR said the large towers being erected on hill slopes in seismic Zone V could destabilise the hills and trigger landslides. It said development should not be limited to construction that does not benefit the town and its people.
The organisation also called the promise of jobs from the project false. It urged the New Development Bank to reassess and withdraw from the project, alleging abuse of power and misrepresentation of facts about public hearings and consent. TUR demanded that the government respect the voice of the people and scrap the project immediately.
