States » EastPosted at: Nov 7 2026 10:42PM


Women’s indefinite sit-in enters second day over Shillong ropeway project

Shillong, Nov 7 (UNI) An indefinite sit-in by a group of women demanding the scrapping of the Rs 151-crore Shillong ropeway project entered its second day on Saturday, with protesters continuing their demonstration in front of the U Kiang Nangbah statue here in Meghalaya.
The women protesters, under the banner of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the Shillong ropeway project, maintained that they would not back out from their protest until the state government scraps the project once and for all from the Shillong Peak range, locally known as U Lum Shyllong.
“We will continue with our peaceful sit-in demonstration until the government scraps the ropeway project in black and white,” JAC President Debora Marbaniang told UNI.
Stating that the JAC is not against development, Marbaniang, however, cautioned that the ropeway project would severely impact the fragile ecology of U Lum Shyllong.
She emphasised that the protest is driven by ecological necessity rather than anti-development sentiment, pointing out that the construction directly threatens the primary water catchment area that sustains the entire Shillong city's water supply.
“How can we allow the government to construct a ropeway in a critical water catchment area that serves as the lifeline for the entire Shillong city and its peripheral areas?” Marbaniang asked, explaining that U Lum Shyllong, which stretches from Laitkor to Sangmein, acts as the primary feeding point for the state capital.
“We should realise that Shillong city is already facing water scarcity and residents are being forced to buy water. Shouldn’t we be protecting our forests and preserving the water catchments?” Marbaniang asked, underscoring that the protest against the ropeway is in the interest of the next generation.
Marbaniang said that hundreds of trees have already been felled to make way for the project infrastructure, threatening the region's delicate ecology.
“We will not allow the government to go ahead with the ropeway project at U Lum Shyllong primarily because it is already disturbing the water catchment, flora, and fauna. This area functions as the lungs of Greater Shillong,” she stated.
When asked about the timing of the agitation and why opposition was not voiced earlier, Marbaniang alleged a complete lack of transparency from the state authorities.
“The community as a whole was not informed about the ropeway project. It was executed in a hush-hush manner, completely lacking transparency in its implementation. It was only understood later by people who know the ecological importance of U Lum Shyllong,” she claimed.
Earlier, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh had said that the government will not reverse its approval on the Shillong Ropeway project, stating that all environmental concerns have been addressed.
“The project has already received the necessary permissions and clearances and cannot be rolled back after the agreements were formally signed,” Lyngdoh said.
The Tourism Minister said that the government is willing to engage further with these stakeholders by taking them to sites like Sikkim and Shimla, where we have ropeway projects amid hill stations.
The 913-metre ropeway project is funded by the New Development Bank and the central government under the PM-DevINE scheme.
The ropeway will utilise a monocable gondola configuration connecting Madan Laban to an upper terminal near the existing Shillong Viewpoint, reducing travel time between the points to approximately five to six minutes. UNI RRK NST
Tags: #Women’s indefinite sit-in enters second day over Shillong ropeway project
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