The Meghalaya government has said the Shillong Peak Ropeway will have a negligible impact on the catchment area, with its six towers occupying just 0.2% of the total area and spring sources located away from the project alignment. The ropeway is being developed to connect Laban with Shillong Viewpoint and improve access to the tourist destination.
CVD Diengdoh, chief executive officer of the Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority, cited a report from the Public Health Engineering department while explaining the project’s expected impact on water sources. He said the springs were located between 500 metres and 1 kilometre from the alignment and would not be affected by construction or operation of the ropeway.
According to the authority, the ropeway will run along the ridge above the tree line. Measures are being adopted to minimise tree felling and preserve forest cover around the project area. The environmental safeguards are significant because the alignment is located within a catchment landscape that supports spring sources and forms part of Shillong’s wider ecological setting.
Diengdoh said the project does not fall under Category A or Category B of the Centre’s Environmental Impact Assessment Notification. It is therefore exempt from a statutory public hearing under the notification. However, because the project is being funded by the New Development Bank, an Environment and Social Management Plan was prepared and approved for it.
The Meghalaya Institute of Governance has also conducted a public consultation and social impact assessment, according to the authority. These processes are separate from the statutory environmental-impact categories cited by the government and form part of the safeguards attached to the project’s external funding.
The system is being designed as a monocable gondola in accordance with European CEN standards, with technical support from French company POMA. The government said the project has received clearances and no-objection certificates from agencies including the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army and the Airports Authority of India.
The ropeway is expected to create an alternative connection between Laban and Shillong Viewpoint, a tourist destination that currently depends on road access. The government has also linked the project to employment opportunities in the tourism sector, although the supplied details do not specify the projected number of jobs or an opening date.
Funding for the project is being provided by the New Development Bank and the PM-DevINE scheme under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The approved environmental and social plan, along with the reported agency clearances, will govern the project’s implementation as construction and related works progress.
