Nepal's cable cars aim for tourism growth at forest's risk

Cable cars, like these two gondolas transporting people on the outskirts of Kathmandu, are actually considered an environmentally friendly alternative to roads. They don't require much space and can be operated in a relatively energy-efficient manner. In Nepal, however, the planned construction of additional cable cars has sparked protests, some of them violent.

Demonstrators in the Taplejung Mountains, in eastern Nepal, are protesting against the planned construction of a 2.5-kilometer (1.5 mile) cable car to the summit. They fear the government-funded $22-million (€21 million) project would damage ancient forests, threaten cultural sanctuaries and deprive many people in the region of their livelihoods.

The protests against the cable car project haven't always been as peaceful as this one. In January, a demonstration in Taplejung escalated and four activists were wounded by gunfire. Twenty-one police officers were also injured. The situation has calmed since then, but in late February further protests led to injuries.

Five cable car projects have opened across Nepal in the past two years. According to the government, 10 more are in the pipeline. With the cable cars, the Himalayan country aims to further promote tourism, which, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council, accounted for more than 6% of Nepal's gross domestic product in 2023.

Every year, around 300,000 devout Hindus hike for hours to the Pathibhara Devi Temple on the summit of Taplejung. The government hopes the cable car will attract even more pilgrims and further boost tourism in the economically weak country. Older pilgrims, in particular, would then be able to easily make the arduous journey to the temple.

Critics, on the other hand, have said nature is being endangered. Some 3,000 rhododendron trees on Taplejung were already cut down for the construction of electricity pylons, with a further 10,000 to follow. The forests are also home to endangered species such as the red panda, black bears and snow leopards. And for region's inhabitants, the mountains and surrounding forests are sacred.

Taplejung isn't the only place where trees are being felled. According to Nepal's Environment Ministry, more than 255,000 trees have been cut down for infrastructure projects in the past four years. "Nepal has witnessed massive deforestation in the name of infrastructure," Rajesh Rai, forestry professor at Tribhuvan University, told AFP news agency. "This will have severe long-term consequences."

Police have been called in to secure construction sites, for fear of protests. Criticism has also been leveled at the close ties between the developer, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, and the Nepalese government — the latter is only serving business interests, according to the accusation. Dhakal has rejected the criticism, highlighting the creation of 1,000 jobs as a result of the cable car project.

For other Nepalese, though, the cable car would be economically devastating. Hundreds of porters like this man make their living transporting luggage to the summit — and sometimes, the pilgrims themselves. Tea stall operators along the route also fear for their livelihoods. "If they fly over us in a cable car, how will we survive?" said 38-year-old porter Chandra Tamang.

"It is a brutal act," said protest leader Shree Linkhim Limbu, lamenting the felling of the trees at Taplejung. According to locals, the government money would be better invested preserving "the religious, cultural and ecological importance" of the forests. Protesters have vowed not to stop until the project is canceled. "We are fighting to save our heritage," said Kendra Singh Limbu, 79, (above).