drone survey detects over 1.92 lakh metric tons of illegal mined coal in Meghalaya
Shillong, Mar 26 (UNI) A single-member panel set up by the Meghalaya High Court has said an aerial drone survey detected over 1.92 lakh metric tons of illegal mined coal found outside the designated coal depot in four districts of the State.
Justice (retd) Brojendra Prasad Katakey panel was appointed in April 2022 to recommend measures to the Meghalaya government in compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which banned the rat-hole coal mining in April 2014.
“Coal found outside the designated depots is considered as illegally mined coal. The large quantity of illegally mined coal would be seized under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act after FIR’s are registered,” Katakey said.
The drone survey was carried by a private firm Garuda survey in East Jaintia Hills district, South West Khasi Hills district, West Khasi Hills district and South Garo Hills district . There are about 12 designated coal depots in the state.
Katakey said the seized coal would then be auctioned after getting necessary clearance from the court and the amount generated would go to the state exchequer, he informed.
“There could be more such coal within the coal mining districts of the state and he would file all these findings in his next report to the High Court of Meghalaya by April 24-25,” Katakey said. The next hearing is on April 28.
When asked about monitoring by the district and state officials to stop such illegal coal mining, Katakey refused to comment, but said,
“It’s for the High Court to take a stand on this issue. My job is to find facts and present them to the High Court.”
However, Katakey said that he had asked the district officials to be more vigilant in monitoring such illegal activities and stopping those.
“The state government has admitted there could be such activities and efforts are on to stop these,” he said.
On March 17, the Meghalaya government initiated the first ‘scientific’ coal mining block at Saryngkham-A in the Byndihati area of the East Jaintia Hills district after the NGT banned rat-hole coal mining in the state April 2014.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had said prospective licenses have been granted to eight miners of which three have obtained environmental clearances.
UNI RRK KK