The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the construction of a cable car in the Pathibhara (Mukkumlung) area of Taplejung.
The apex court did not extend an earlier interim order to keep the cable car construction on hold, thereby paving the way for the project to move forward.
Senior advocate Satish Krishna Kharel said that a joint bench of Justices Nahakul Subedi and Abdul Aziz Musalman on Wednesday decided not to continue the interim order issued on March 26.
“The full details of the order have yet to be studied, but the earlier order to maintain the status quo has not been continued. This means the path is now open for the cable car construction,” said Kharel, who argued on behalf of the cable car construction company in the hearing.
Petitioners including Yam Bahadur Limbu had filed a petition against Pathibhara Devi Darshan Cable Car Pvt. Ltd. and others, demanding a halt to the cable car construction.
Responding to the petition on March 26, Justice Sharada Subedi’s bench had called both parties to the court to determine whether an interim order was necessary. The court had ordered that the cable car construction be kept on hold until then.
The construction of the cable car in the Pathibhara area has been facing continuous protests.
The Limbu community has been protesting against the cable car construction, claiming that the Mukkumlung area is a sacred heritage site and that constructing a cable car there would be an attack and encroachment on their cultural heritage. The protests are also supported by groups advocating for the abolition of “Koshi” as the province’s name.
