NONGPOH/SHILLONG: Two trucks carrying coal illegally overturned at separate locations on NH-6 in Ri Bhoi on Monday.
Ri Bhoi police chief C Syrti said the trucks with Assam registration were spotted at Shangbangla and Umling during routine patrolling in the morning.
The drivers and coal owners had escaped before the arrival of the police patrol team but a case has been registered against them, Syrti said.
“Stringent action will also be taken against those involved in this illegal transportation of coal,” he added.
The Supreme Court bench of Justice AI Sikri and Justice S Abdul Nazeer in January banned transportation of coal after 16 miners were trapped in a mine at Ksan in East Jaintia Hills.
Syrti said police have set up two check points, one at Umiam and the other at the weighbridge in Umling, to keep strict vigil on trucks carrying coal illegally.
When asked how the trucks managed to slip through the police check points, the officer said, “There is a possibility that these trucks were using village or other routes to evade police check.
Investigation to ascertain the facts is on.”
He added that both coal-laden and goods-laden trucks use tarpaulin cover and “it is difficult for police to uncover the tarpaulin and check each truck”.
“It will take more than 15-20 minutes and this will create traffic snarls and inconvenience to the public,” he said but warned that if detected, there will be stringent action against trucks carrying illegal coal.
Trucks flock in hundreds
Meanwhile, in another incident, a group of reporters travelling from Guwahati to Shillong on December 4 witnessed a large number of trucks, around 400-500, travelling towards Guwahati around 1.30 am.
In between these batches of trucks, there were small cars.
It was unusual for the fact that such large number of trucks travelling at night is uncommon on Guwahati-Shillong road following the ban on coal by the NGT.
“These trucks are most probably carrying coal as the agents must have found a clear link to see that the trucks are passed without any hindrance at this hour of the night,” said the driver of the vehicle in which the scribes were travelling.