SHILLONG: Illegal coal mining and transportation are rampant as it is evident from a series of seizures of coal and arrests made in connection with mining.
There were also a few instances of trucks overturning exposing illegal transportation of coal that was disallowed by NGT.
On October 28, near Third Mile, Upper Shillong, a truck overturned and the coal partially spilled on to the road.
Seizure of trucks was also reported from parts of Jaintia Hills, West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills.
Earlier on Tuesday, police seized a truck while transporting coal in West Khasi Hills. Recently, a few labourers were picked up in East Jaintia Hills for carrying out coal mining in violation of the NGT order. As per police records, on the night of October 27, the police and magistrate had caught a person identified as Harka Bahadur Thapa while he was extracting coal from a quarry belonging to a person at Wapung in East Jaintia Hills.
Earlier in July, police had detected two trucks while transporting coal in violation of NGT order at Bajengdoba, North Garo Hills.
A few days ago, former chief minister Mukul Sangma had blamed the government for facilitating illegal coal mining. In defence, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had said his government was taking measures to not only stop illegal mining but also to solve the impasse over the NGT ban.
