SHILLONG : Women members of the Joint Action Committee Against Shillong Ropeway Project, along with residents under the Riat Laban Dorbar Pyllun, on Friday staged a protest outside the gate of the company executing the Shillong Peak Ropeway Project from Madan Laban to Shillong View Point.

The protest was organised after the residents reportedly received information that officials from the Tourism Department were planning to visit the project site, particularly the proposed Lower Terminal Point of the Shillong Ropeway Project.

While waiting for the Tourism Department officials to arrive, the protesting women and residents highlighted what they described as the deterioration of the Um-Mawlong stream, which flows down from Shillong Peak and passes through the area where construction of the Lower Terminal Point is underway.

The residents alleged that the stream had remained free-flowing in the past and had never experienced such drying conditions before.

However, they claimed that the stream had started drying up after trees were felled at the project site, raising concerns over the possible environmental impact of the construction work.

Expressing apprehension over the future of the water source, the residents questioned what could happen to the stream once the ropeway project becomes operational.

They maintained that the situation had raised serious concerns among the local community over the potential impact of the project on the surrounding environment and water resources.