SHALLANG, Aug 19: The scourge of illegal coal mining has returned to haunt the state yet again. Despite repeated denials by the incumbent MDA government and reciprocation by the central government that no illegal coal mining and transportation is taking place in the state, the situation on the ground states otherwise.
At least one person was killed while another was critically injured after an alleged illegal coal mine collapsed on them in an early morning incident in the village of Urak (Riangdim), a remote hamlet close to Goreng under Shallang police station in West Khasi Hills.
The place of incident, though within West Khasi Hills, is in reality closer to the district of South Garo Hills. While it takes about three hours, including trekking on foot, to get to Urak from Shallang, the distance is shorter from Jadi in South Garo Hills, though here too trekking on foot is a must.
The incident continues others in the state where illegal coal mining has become a feature rather than an exception with the matter only coming to the limelight once tragedy strikes. Earlier in February this year there were reports of two labourers from Assam succumbing to the lure of the black gold, also in the same district.
The latest incident allegedly took place on Friday morning when two persons identified as Lependro Sangma (34) and Hendit Momin (33), both residents of Uguri (Goraimari) village under Kharkutta police station in North Garo Hills had gone to the coal mine at Urak on being instructed by mine owner Hubath R Sangma of Songsak Gurakalam village in Shallang.
Police said when the duo entered, the mine collapsed in which Lependro lost his life while Hendit sustained grievous injuries on his leg. A police team took the body of the deceased to Shallang PHC for post-mortem examination while the injured person was admitted at the same PHC for treatment.
A police team from the district rushed to the spot of the incident immediately after it became known a person had been killed. However the remoteness of the place in question has led to rescue operations being delayed.
“The place has extremely difficult terrain and requires walking on foot. Further there is no network in the place of the incident and its adjoining areas which has hampered operations. Our team is still to return with an update on the situation,” informed a highly placed police source from the district.
Even till the writing of this report, the police team was yet to return. A member from the district administration was already in Shallang to oversee proceedings on Friday afternoon though his wait has continued for the return of the group that went early in the morning.
The police team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police B Kharjana, recovered around 7-8 tons of coal, two handcarts used for ferrying coal from inside the quarry, two shovels and two pick-axes from the spot.
Following the recovery of the items, police registered a case under various sections of the IPC and the
MMDR Act and arrested the mine owner Hubath R Sangma.
Police said he will be produced before the court after thorough interrogation.
The latest coal mining tragedy to hit the state comes just days after Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi submitted a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on coal mining in Meghalaya which was devoid of the truth.
In his written reply to the Upper House, the Union minister had 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’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.
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.
