Brazil’s federal prosecutors have blocked a decision to authorise the instalment of zip-lines at Rio de Janeiro’s Sugarloaf Mountain, claiming it will damage the environment, around it.

Prosecutors announced their decision on Thursday (local time), arguing that Iphan, a federal organ under the Ministry of Culture, “illicitly” authorised the project after construction had already begun in September 2022.

Iphan and the company responsible for the construction of the zip-lines are defendants in a civil lawsuit and each must pay a fine of at least US$9.5 million ($14.3 million).

Prosecuters gave the company a 60-day deadline to present a schedule to work on repairing a damaged area and to remove every structure and residuals used at the construction site.

The United Nations heritage centre named Sugarloaf Mountain a World Heritage Site in 2012, along with Rio’s other marquee mountains and, years earlier, Brazil’s heritage institute designated it a national monument.

The cable cars to its summit draw hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, all eager to take in the panoramic views of the sprawling city’s beaches and forested mountains.

In March, around 200 people gathered beneath Sugarloaf Mountain to protest the ongoing construction of zip-lines aimed at boosting tourism, alleging it would cause an “unacceptable” environmental impact.

The zip-lines’ four steel lines would run 755 metres over the forest between Sugarloaf and Urca Hill, and riders would reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. 

The inauguration of the zip-line was scheduled for the second half of the year.

An online petition to stop work on the zip-line was signed by almost 11,000 people.

The mountain is also popular for climbing and birdwatching which is why the prospect of riders buzzing down wires while screaming loudly united mountaineers, environmental activists and residents in opposition.

They have warned UNESCO could withdraw its heritage status.

Prosecutors acted after a public interest civil action lawsuit filed by Brazilian citizens required halting construction at Sugarloaf in order to protect the environment and its historical and cultural heritage.

Federal prosecutors also found the zip-line construction “altered the land’s natural outline due to the rock’s demolition and drilling”.

Parque Bondinho Pao de Açúcar, which operates the cable cars behind the zip-line project, said in a statement that sound tests indicated noise from riders will not be perceptible from below and will not affect climbing routes.

It said it had obtained all the necessary permits and licenses to run the project, from the National Heritage Institute to municipal authorities.

It also argued the project had the ability to drive tourism to the area.

“In addition to the great integration with nature, the intention is to improve the experience of our visitors and make the visit to Parque Bondinho Pao de Açucar Park even more pleasant and unforgettable,” the company says on its website.

Opponents to the zip-line project have dubbed it “the castle of horrors” and have expressed concerns it would be a harbinger of future interventions.

AP