SHILLONG: Concerned over the rapid depletion of various water bodies in Meghalaya due to mining activities, the State Government will soon formulate the Concession Rules for implementation of the Meghalaya Mines and Mineral Policy, 2012. The Government is also planning to acquire all the lands which fall under the catchment areas through an amendment of the Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Areas Act, 1990 for their protection.
“The Mining and Geology department is currently formulating the proposed Concession Rules to implement the mining policy which would allow the Government to regulate the various mining activities. The proposed rules are expected to be tabled before the Cabinet at the earliest,” Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong told a group of reporters here on Tuesday.
There is already a Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, formulated by the Union Ministry of Mines which says that: ” illegal mining means any reconnaissance or prospecting or mining operation undertaken by any person or a company in any area without holding a reconnaissance permit or a prospecting licence or as the case may be, a mining lease”. But, for Meghalaya, fresh rules would have to be formulated.
According to Tynsong, the Government would look to ensure that the mining of various minerals like sand, boulders, limestones and coal were being carried in such a way that it did not cause any destruction to the environment, especially the water bodies, once the proposed rules came into force.
“The Concession Rules is also being formulated in accordance with the recent ruling of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ban coal mining in the State,” he added.
The Forest and Environment Minister also expressed concern over the destruction of the Umiew River which was the main source of water for the main dam at Mawphlang which supplied water to the entire Shillong city and its suburbs through the Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS).
“The Government is seized of this matter. We would be taking necessary steps to save this very important river,” Tynsong said while also admitting that if the Government failed to protect this river then the whole city would face a water crisis in the years to come.
He also informed that he was going to hold a discussion with Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to speed up the proposed amendment of the Meghalaya Protection of Catchment Areas Act, 1990.
“The main reason for the delay of this important amendment is because the Finance department is examining the possibilities of the State Government acquiring all the land which fall under the catchment areas. It will be a futile exercise to declare any area as catchment area if the Government does not have a say over it,” Tynsong said.
The Forest and Environment Minister said that the Government would try to incorporate the provision for acquiring all the land which fell under the various catchment areas across the State in the proposed amendment of the Act.
“The Government at present is not able to protect these catchment areas as desired since the lands along the catchment areas are private owned. The only way we can protect the catchment areas is for the Government to acquire all these lands under the catchment areas including those which are private owned,” official sources said.
Official sources added that the Government intended to identify the various catchment areas as critical and non-critical while adding that by doing this, the Government could prioritize those critical areas which were facing serious threats due to various unwanted human activities.
The sources said the main source of drinking water at Mawphlang dam which supplied water to the whole city was facing a huge threat thanks to the unscientific method of stone quarrying by individuals at Umtyngngar (Mylliem) and Mawjrong.