By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Deputy Chief Minister in-charge mining Bindo Lanong has said that there will be war among the miners of the State if the practice of rat hole mining in Meghalaya is done away with.
Addressing the concluding function of the year-long golden jubilee celebration of Sankar Dev College here on Saturday, Lanong said, “Rat-hole mining cannot be done away with as it has been practised by people for ages to extract coal in the State and this will also affect the poor who practise this kind of mining”, he said.
The proposed mining policy of the State does not have any provision to ban rat hole mining.
Lanong said that with the State Cabinet approving the draft mining policy, there would be improvement in the mining activities.
Lanong said, “The abundance of mineral resources in the state has driven the attention of people but unfortunately the unscientific mining activities being carried out has in turn hampered the environment and biodiversity of the rich coal belt areas of the State.”
The Deputy Chief Minister also said that despite the direction given by the Union Government to improve the current practice of mining and introduce a mechanized system without disturbing the traditional mining practices of the people (rat-hole mining), questions are also being raised about the practice of traditional mining by different sections of the society.
Further, Lanong, who also holds Sports portfolio, informed that within a month or two, the Sports and Youth Policy will be finalized by the Government.