SHILLONG, July 22: A ‘state level committee’ on Tuesday submitted before the High Court of Meghalaya that a large number of trees were lopped off in the Lawsohtun area of East Khasi Hills district to facilitate the construction of the Shillong Peak Ropeway Cable Car Project at Raid Laban Reserve Forests and Raid Laban Forest by the Tourism department.
Earlier, a public interest litigation was filed in the court by an individual alleging indiscriminate and largescale felling of trees in the Lawsohtun area.
By its June 24, 2025 order, a division bench, comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh, had expressed deep concern over the petitioner’s allegation. The bench perused a report of the state government dated 20th June, 2025 which was filed pursuant to an earlier order of the court.
The court had constituted the state level committee to supervise how forest officials deal with applications filed by individuals for felling or part felling of branches of trees likely to cause danger to life or property or both.
While dealing with the report, the court in its June 24, 2025 order had directed the committee to be more proactive instead of delegating the work to subordinate forest officers.
“We called for a further report to be considered today. Accordingly, a further report dated 18th July, 2025 is filed in court today,” the court said in its order.
“It appears from this report that the large-scale felling of trees in the Lawsohtun area…was done to facilitate the construction of the Shillong Peak Ropeway Cable Car Project at Raid Laban Reserve Forests and Raid Laban Forest by the Tourism department of the state government upon obtaining appropriate approval for forest clearance from the Central government,” the order further stated.
It was stated in the report that the Centre provided compensatory land to the state government for afforestation. To this, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that this land is situated in another district and will serve no purpose in improving the environment of the said area in East Khasi Hills district. “It also prima facie appears from the report that the Committee has been considering applications for felling or lopping off branches of trees with more attention and upon scrutiny of all details,” the court said.
The matter will be heard again on July 30, 2025.
