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No coal production in M’laya in four years: Union minister

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SHILLONG, Aug 1: Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi was once again found giving a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on coal mining in Meghalaya which was far from the truth.
In a written reply in the Upper House on Monday, the minister asserted that no coal production has been reported in Meghalaya in the last four years as per information received from Coal Controller Organisation (CCO). This statement, strangely, bear no resemblance with the ground reality as is evident from the overwhelming number of expose on illegal coal mining and transportation in the state.
The minister also informed the Rajya Sabha that the estimated coal resources in Meghalaya as per Coal Inventory of India published by Geology Survey of India (GSI) on April 1, 2021 is 576.48 MT.
Joshi went on to say that the National Green Tribunal, in its order dated June 9, 2014, noticed that there has been serious air, water and environmental pollution being caused by the illegal, unregulated and indiscriminate rat-hole mining being carried on in various parts of Meghalaya.
In order to preserve the ecology of Meghalaya, the Supreme Court in its judgment dated July 3, 2019, ordered that provisions of The Mines Act, 1952 are mandatorily to be followed before working a mine. The regulations namely Coal Mines Regulations, 2017 also contains several regulatory provisions which need to be followed while working a mine by a mining lease holder.
The enforcement of Mines Act, 1952 and the Regulations, 2017 have to be ensured by the state in the public interest, he said.
“As per statutory regime brought in force by notification dated January 15, 2016 issued under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, environmental clearance is required for a project of coal for mining of any extent of area. While implementing statutory regime for carrying mining operations in the Hills Districts of the State of Meghalaya, the State of Meghalaya has to ensure compliance of not only MMDR Act, 1957 but Mines Act, 1952 as well as Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,” the minister said.
“For carrying out coal mining operations in privately owned/community owned land, it is not the state government which shall grant the mining lease under Chapter V of Rules, 1960, but it is the private owner/community owner of the land, who is also the owner of the mineral, who shall grant lease for mining of coal as per provisions of Chapter V of Rules, 1960 after obtaining previous approval of the central government through the state government,” Joshi said.
According to the minister, the state government has been implementing an action plan prepared by the Committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal and approved by the NGT, to close down the openings of mines which were created before the ban imposed by NGT in 2014 and is putting in place the safety measures around mine openings where there is still mineable coal reserves which can be utilized in future in accordance with law.
“The central government has not done any social auditing in Meghalaya,” the minister informed the Upper House.
The minister’s reply in Parliament makes it evident that the state government has been deliberately providing a false narrative as a clever ploy to sidetrack at least three major mine accidents — the Ksan mine tragedy in December 2018 in which 16 labourers died; the Krem Ule accident in May 2021 in which six miners died and the death of two labourers in a coal pit at Shallang in West Khasi Hills in February last — essentially establishing the fact that illegal mines are still operating.
It is an open secret that illegal coal trade is a flourishing business and every day a few hundred coal laden trucks find their way out of the state. Knowledgeable circles claim that each such truck pays anything between Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,50,000 before meandering out of the state.
The question that belies an answer is what redressal can be obtained when the central government mouths a string of blatant lies, being fed by the state government to its ulterior end.
Even the High Court of Meghalaya has reprimanded the state government for doing ‘precious little’ to end illegal mining and transportation of coal despite orders from the Supreme Court and the NGT.
The court, while taking suo motu cognizance of a report in The Shillong Times on illegal rat-hole coal mining in Nengchigen village in West Khasi Hills, had maintained that the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya is responsible for implementing such directions and remains obliged to ensure that all illegal mining activities are stopped without further delay.
While issuing the order, the court recalled that the Chief Secretary had accompanied all three judges to visit Khliehriat and its nearby areas last week and it was evident even while travelling along the highways that fresh coal had been deposited in mounds on both sides of the road spanning tens of kilometers.
The coal looked to be obviously freshly mined as it was shiny black, the Court observed.
“On the road from Khliehriat to Amlarem, about a kilometre or two from the Silchar-Shillong National Highway, there is a vantage point from where one can see the valley below. The lower ground is riddled with rigs and tell-tale signs of mining activities and recently constructed hutments. Even along the stretch, for tens of miles, freshly mined coal is dumped on both sides of the road in plain view,” the court had said.
“Going by the illegal activities only around the Khliehriat region, it appears that the practice is rampant and may be even more intense in areas which are not easily accessible,” the order had said.
The court also pointed out that it can safely be said that the scene in and around Khliehriat speaks of the vast stretches there being beyond the purview of the administration and it is impossible that the illegal mining activities and the deposit of freshly mined coal would be conducted with such impunity without the possible connivance of the local administration or even worse.

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