Nepal, cable car boom: dozens are being built. In the east, clashes over desecrated sacred forest

Nepal . The cable car scandal explodes. In the Himalayan country they are literally sprouting like mushrooms. One facility in particular, whose construction is threatening a sacred forest, has even sparked street protests to which the police responded violently.

Tourism development versus environmental protection. A problem that affects - albeit in different ways - both large countries with a high economic level and a high rate of development, also in the field of hospitality, and those that, although physically and socioeconomically distant from the so-called civilization, have managed to gain a position on the global map of traveling. The case of Nepal is emblematic, in itself one of the most structurally remote and least accessible countries on the planet, and yet for this very reason it is a great attraction, even if niche. But in the era of consumption and social media, market expansion is almost a must.

Overtourism on the Roof of the World

So it is not surprising that, in a land beloved by mountaineers , hikers and fans of a culture and history that in themselves evoke the idea of ​​slowness, the social duty of sharing leads to quantities and types of guests that evoke a form of tourism that requires rapid transport, luxury, a basic infrastructure that is intrinsically inimical to sustainability. And it is even less surprising, where even Everest has become a case of overtourism , that the trend is spreading to lower altitudes - in altitude and fame.

The area affected by the phenomenon is eastern Nepal. It is the remote district of Taplejung , torn apart for months because of a cable car project that threatens a sacred forest and the entire economy of the region. Earlier this year, the dispute led to violent clashes, when the police fired live ammunition at protesters fiercely opposed to the project, seriously injuring four people.

Clashes with police over sacred forest

The protesters' decision to call off the protest in exchange for a halt to the work has temporarily eased tensions. But the fire continues to smolder in the area, with 14 people injured yesterday, including 11 members of the security forces. "We were demonstrating peacefully when the thugs brandished kukris (large traditional Nepalese knives) and attacked us," says Shree Linkhim Limbu , coordinator of the site's defense committee, determined to continue his fight until the project is abandoned.

It all started when wealthy businessman Chandra Dhakal , chairman of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and close to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli , announced in 2018 the construction of a cable car to the Pathibhara temple . About 300,000 people visit the Hindu pilgrimage site each year, after several hours of walking in the foothills of the Himalayas. The government says the 2.5-kilometer, 21-million-euro project will increase temple attendance, with maximum benefit to the local economy. It describes it as a “project of national pride.”

Red Panda, Black Bear and Snow Leopard Habitat at Risk

A definition strongly rejected by the local population, who fear the irreparable damage it will cause and has already caused to nature, in particular to a forest that the indigenous Limbu community considers sacred. "This is nothing but direct and brutal interference by the State," Shree Linkhim Limbu denounced to the Agence France Presse. "How can we talk about national pride when the State only serves particular interests?"

The state has allowed the felling of more than 10,000 trees in the forest, which is home to endangered species such as the red panda , black bear and the elusive and rare snow leopard . “We Kirat (indigenous people) worship trees, stones and all living things. They are slaughtering our faith,” said Anil Subba, director of a month-long anti-rope-car show in the capital Kathmandu. The Dhakal cable car is also not popular with the 500 or so local porters, tea sellers and hoteliers , who fear their stream of itinerant customers will dry up. “We have been ferrying devotees to Pathibhara for generations,” recalls one such worker, Chandra Tamang , 38. “If they take the cable car over our heads, how will we survive?”

For and against

The opposition is far from unanimous. “It will bring development here,” says Kamala Devi Thapa , a 45-year-old resident, who says the cable car will attract more “older pilgrims” without stopping the younger or fitter ones from walking.

In recent times, ski lifts have multiplied in Nepal. Five of the eight currently in service were built in the last two years and ten more are under construction. Many bear the signature of the Ime group of Dhakal. The objective of the authorities is clear: to revive the tourism sector which, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (Wctt), contributes 6% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of a country where the unemployment rate is close to 10%. Beyond the Pathibhara project, the entire environmental policy of the government is at stake, in a country covered by 45% of forests. According to the Ministry of the Environment, 255,000 trees will be cut down in 2024 .

The cable car magnate

“The government is allowing deforestation in the name of development, and this will have long-term consequences,” warns Rajesh Rai , a professor at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan University . Unperturbed, the cable car promoter assures that his project will create a thousand jobs and rejects all opposition. “It is just a means of transport, it will not affect the ecology or the local culture,” Dhakal assures. “If people can fly over the region by helicopter, why not by cable car? Besides, we are promoting clean energy…”

The argument leaves Kendra Singh Limbu , 79, unmoved. “We are fighting to preserve our heritage,” this first opponent lashes out, “and we will continue until the project is finally cancelled.”

The community is now divided between old and young, notes Anand Gautam , a local journalist. “For some it means progress, for others it means destruction.”