SHILLONG: Justifying the extension given to the new committee headed by MS Rao, Principal Secretary, Forest, Meghalaya, State Forest and Environment Minister Prestone Tynsong on Monday said the extension has been given to the new committee counting on various factors.
Tynsong said that it would be difficult for the committee members to go to the villages and assess the quantity of coal due to the bad road conditions, the ongoing rainy season and various other factors.
The Committee is to submit its report on the assessment of extracted coal and the ways of transporting the coal without any environmental hazards by the end of this month.
According to Tynsong, the new committee has already begun its job and the department is hoping that the committee will submit its report within the timeline.
Earlier, during a hearing in Shillong on August 1, the NGT had asked the new committee to submit its report within two weeks.
However, in a fresh order issued on August 12, the NGT extended the deadline till August 30.
The new committee constituted by the State Government and headed by Rao also has as members Additional Chief Secretary K.S. Kropha, Dr. S.S. Bala, Senior Scientist of the Central Pollution Board, P. Gupta, Member Secretary, Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board and Prof. Mohammad Javed of IIT, Guwahati.