TURA: The hue and cry in the state over alleged illegal coal mining in the state notwithstanding, attempts continue to be made to transport coal to Assam.
According to some social activists, dozens of trucks loaded with the illegal consignment are allegedly parked on a village road under Rambrai-Jyrngam constituency of West Khasi Hills waiting to move to Assam through the Garo village road of Malangkona towards Dhupdhara – the entry point into the neighbouring state.
Several villagers from the Malangkona region, which is the gateway from Riangdo to Dhupdhara, have raised an alarm over the stationary coal-laden trucks at the nearby Garo village of Werang.
While Riangdo is 14 kms from Malangkona, Werang is barely five kms away.
There are allegations that illegal mining and export is being orchestrated by a public leader from that region.
“About 50 to 60 coal-laden trucks are already lined up on the Werang-Malangkona road for transit at night. Our road is deteriorating day by day. Please stop this,” appealed social activists to the government.
Locals from Malangkona region informed The Shillong Times that the coal mafia is bringing the extracted coal from Shallang and Nongstoin to Riangdo from where it is transported through the Malangkona road.
“All these illegal activities take place after 9 pm when the village roads are empty. The coal trucks move to Dhupdhara and Dudhnoi and are taken either directly to the railway depot or peoples’ open fields where they are unloaded,” revealed a village source.
According to locals from the area, the coal mafia has been targeting three routes to ship their illegal consignment from West Khasi Hills to the neighbouring state.
“Earlier, they used the village roads of Aradonga and Langpih that come out in Assam. But now they find the Werang-Malangkona road through Riangdo the most convenient for their illegal trade,” informed a source.
With virtually no vigilance along the remote West Khasi Hills roads the coal mafia has been making a windfall out of the illegal trade.
