NONGSTOIN: As much as 29,28,212 metric tonnes of coal lay stacked in depots across West Khasi Hills District as coal traders eagerly await government order to sell off the extracted coal, preferably before the onset of the monsoon.
A government team comprising of members from the Meghalaya Pollution Control Board and the Directorate of Mineral Resources along with officials of the West Khasi Hills district administration recently assessed the quantity of coal lying in the open in the district. Following the assessment, the Special Committee submitted its report to the government.
The report states that a total of 722 forms were submitted in West Khasi Hills by coal traders wherein the quantity of coal in the depots was mentioned. The report added that there were 385 coal depots and 1870 coal mines in West Khasi Hills.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, JP Lakiang, who led the government team at Nongstoin and Maweit said that the report which has been submitted to the government would be forwarded to the NGT.
He added that coal traders would have to wait for the order of the government to sell off the extracted coal.
Meanwhile, several coal traders are waiting for the government to lift Sec 144 CrPC which ordered the stoppage of coal mining, coal extraction and coal transport.
Many of them also fear that if the ban is not lifted soon, the quantity of coal at the depots would diminish following the advent of the monsoon.
Adding to the fears, coal traders said, “It is well known that Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall in the world. It is disheartening to realise that our hard earned extracted coal stacked at the depots will have to face the onslaught of the monsoon ) monsoon which threatens to wash away the stock and in the process even pollute the vicinity. Usually, we ship our coal from the depots to Assam prior to the monsoon, as coal lying at the depots during the monsoon may be subjected to being washed away, thereby reducing the actual quantity of coal extracted from the mines leading to huge financial losses to coal traders across the state.”