‘Initial DPR with low-hanging cable rejected to reduce tree-felling’
Shillong, Oct 16: The complaint of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) against Shillong Ropeway project that the local Dorbar Shnong did not properly inform the public about the project is an internal matter of the locality, according to the state government.
“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,” said Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Tourism R M Kurbah on Friday.
“I cannot say if the Dorbar informed the public because I am not part of that committee,” Kurbah said a day after chairing a meeting with the JAC delegation.
The established practice to proceed on any project is to take the Dorbar Shnong into confidence.
“Whenever we have a project, we usually take the Dorbar into confidence because they are elected by the residents. When we wanted to hold the public hearing, we issued notice to the Dorbar Shnong through the headman,” Kurbah said.
The official said she had shared with the JAC the documentary proof of the department’s communication with the Dorbar.
“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 added.
Kurbah said the project has been in public domain since 2015, with meetings in 2022 and foundation laying by the Chief Minister in 2024.
“This is not a project of two years. Where is it that public would not have noticed?” she said.
On statutory compliance, she said the government has obtained all no objection certificates.
“Whatever procedure required for the project has been complied with by the government. We have explained the DPR to them and informed them about various NOCs obtained from Forest, Airport Authority, Air Force, Indian Army, Raid Laban Dorbar Pyllun and forest clearance from the Ministry,” Kurbah said.
She also said PHE, Municipal and environmental engineers have clarified that the ropeway will not affect catchment areas.
“They were talking about it being a watershed area. We had people from PHE, from Municipal, they stated that the area is not going to affect water retention. The environmental engineer was there to explain that this project will not affect the watershed areas,” Kurbah said.
She said the initial DPR near the water source with 25-metre cable height was rejected as it would have required felling all trees, and the revised DPR shifts the site with tower height raised to 40 metres.
“The government did not accept that DPR. We shifted the site. Now the height is 40 metres, way beyond the trees. Cutting 544 trees for 900-plus metre length is not much. We have to compensate ten times at another location as the Forest department says there is no place inside Lumshillong,” Kurbah said.
Kurbah said the top station is at the existing Shillong Viewpoint and the second station was a nursery with no trees, and the aerial project will have six towers of 15×15 metres with greenery and retention walls.
Appealing for peace ahead of JAC’s rally on Saturday, she said, “They informed us they have planned a peace rally tomorrow and we appealed to ensure it is peaceful and no untoward incident should happen.”
