Pollution, death due to coal mining
SHILLONG: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Meghalaya secretary of mining and geology department to file a personal affidavit, giving the complete picture of the situation regarding environment protection and anti-pollution devices and the measures for protecting and control of pollution that are being taken under supervision of the State Government.
The directive came from the NGT during its sitting in Shillong on Friday on the matter of threat to life arising out of coal mining in the South Garo Hills district.
The NGT further directed that the affidavit shall also state as to how many incidents of labour being trapped in mines or of deaths in mining accidents had occurred in the state.
According to NGT, it appeared that the mining activity was going on in a most unregulated, illegal manner, opposed to the statutory provisions
The NGT has also directed that the Central Pollution Control Board along with Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board and representatives of Meghalaya should file a comprehensive report with regard to carrying on mining activities in various places of the state, particularly in relation to the pollution and danger to human life.
The NGT is again scheduled to conduct its sitting on June 2 at Shillong.
The tribunal has also raised serious doubts if the Mines and Minerals policy 2012 was fully implemented in the state in 2012 and added that there should have been better records for prevention of the incident in coal mines across the state.