SHILLONG : Opposition to the proposed Shillong Ropeway Project at Shillong Peak is gaining momentum, with the Hynniewtrep Border Development and Research Forum (HBDRF) extending its support to the Joint Action Committee (JAC) and other organisations demanding that the project be shifted to another location.

HBDRF Chairman Chandame Sungoh said on Friday that his organisation was not opposed to development or the ropeway project itself, but objected to the location selected by the Government.

“We come here not to oppose this project, but there is a saying, do the right thing at the right time, in the right place, in the right manner,” Sungoh said.

He maintained that while the Government’s objective behind introducing the Shillong Ropeway Project was justified, Shillong Peak was not the appropriate location for its implementation.

“The aim and the purpose of the Government to bring this Shillong Ropeway Project is the right thing, but the place they said to establish it is not the right place,” he said.

Sungoh urged the Government to reconsider its decision and relocate the proposed ropeway from Shillong Peak to an alternative site.

“We request the Government to relocate or shift this project from Shillong Peak to another place,” he said.

Reaffirming his organisation’s position, the HBDRF chairman said it fully supported the JAC and other social organisations opposing the project at the proposed location.

He stressed that although development was necessary, the importance of protecting natural resources should not be overlooked.

“We need development, we know we need development, but air and water is much more important than any kind of development,” Sungoh said.

“So, we are against the project proposed in Shillong Peak,” he added.