SHILLONG, OCT 17: Residents of Laban Pyllun under the banner of JAC Against Shillong Ropeway on Saturday marched from Last Stop to the ropeway project site, demanding immediate shifting of the project.
Holding placards that read ‘No Ropeway in Laban’, protesters said the project site is unsuitable and will cause irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystem of Lum Shyllong.
JAC Secretary Dr Linda Marbaniang said the rally was a collective voice of Laban residents.
“As residents of Laban Pyllun and members of the JAC, we have taken out this rally to give an ultimatum to the government. We request them to take this project somewhere else. This is not the right place for a tourist spot,” Marbaniang said.
Giving the government 10 days to decide, she warned, “If it is negative, if they don’t listen to us, we will extend our agitation. We do not want the ropeway here. There is not a single plus point, no benefit for the people here. Only residents will suffer.
“On the future course of action, including legal recourse, Marbaniang said, “Will the JAC take it to the High Court? We will have to sit together and decide collectively what is the next step.”
Dismissing the government’s assurance of no environmental hazard, she said Shillong’s changing climate is proof of ecological damage.
“You all live in Shillong. The rainfall we used to get is no longer there. We have cut down so many trees and it has affected the weather. When there is no rainfall, there is no water. The springs here will dry up,” she said.
She also rejected the government’s suggestion to provide alternative land for tree plantation. “Very sorry, we don’t have that,” she said.
On whether the JAC will resort to a hunger strike, she said, “Probably, we will extend. We will sit and decide what is the next step.”
Responding to queries on why the protest came late, Marbaniang said the public was never consulted.
“I want to clarify this. When they started, they did not call for a public hearing. We were unaware. We are not against development, but after they cut the trees, there was shortage of water everywhere. It took time because we had to go to different departments, file RTIs, get papers. We cannot come without justification and documents,” she said.
She questioned the legality of the ongoing work in absence of clearances. “How can you justify construction here when you don’t even have the NOC, you don’t even have the trading licence? You have gone against human law and regulation, and most dangerously, against the law of the Lord God Almighty who has given us Lum Shillong to preserve.”
“This is sacred, a God-given gift. Please do not touch it,” she added.
Marbaniang also accused the local Dorbar Shnong of betraying residents.
“Yes, they have betrayed us. They did it behind our back. They did not intimate us, did not call for a public hearing. It is a total betrayal,” she alleged.
She, however, said the JAC is ready to attend a public hearing if convened by the government to express their opposition.
By Our Reporter
