SHILLONG: The KHADC has decided to appeal to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to repeal its earlier order to ban rat hole mining in Meghalaya.
“We are in the process of filing an appeal. We are likely to file the appeal on the day of the hearing of the tribunal on May 19,” KHADC CEM Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit told newsmen here on Thursday.
He said KHADC had decided on filing the appeal since it was of the view that the tribunal should have consulted the district councils before imposing this ban since the order concerned the overall interest of the tribal people.
“We all know that a large number of people are directly or indirectly dependent on the mining of coal for their livelihood. We would not like to see our people die of hunger due to this ban,” Basaiawmoit said.
He also asserted that there was a need to have an in-depth study to find out if rat hole mining was the main cause for the pollution of the river and water bodies.
“We must realize of the fact that rat hole mining has been going on in the State for the past 60 years. But it is only recently that a large number of cement plants have come up in the State and at the same time issues concerning pollution of the river have also come up,” the KHADC CEM said.
“There are strong possibilities that the cement plants might be the root cause for the pollution of the river since they are directly discharging the effluents into the river.”
He said banning of rat hole mining in the Khasi Hills region was totally uncalled for. “Till date, there is not even a single complaint about the pollution of any of the water bodies in Khasi Hills due to coal mining,” The KHADC CEM said. There must some valid grounds before imposing such kinds of ban, he pointed out.
Citing the instance of ban on timber felling, he said the ban was imposed without conducting an in-depth study. “Despite the ban, we all know that the felling of trees is still continuing in West Khasi Hills illegally. The same thing can happen with ban on coal mining,” Basaiawmoit said.
He slammed Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong for claiming that the ongoing rat hole mining was illegal.
“This kind of irresponsible statement is not expected from the Minister. If he feels that the rat hole mining is illegal then why has he not taken action after so many years being in the Government,” he asked.
Meanwhile, district administrations of East Khasi Hills and North Garo Hills have banned rat hole mining of coal and its transportation.
East Khasi Hills District Magistrate Sanjay Goyal has prohibited rat hole mining in the district with immediate effect. The directive came from the DC after National Green Tribunal imposed a blanket ban on rat hole mining in the state.
North Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner W Khyllep has also issued a similar order.