Editor,
Meghalaya – a land blessed by Mother Nature, has been suffering under the hands of people who wish to utilize its natural resources for their own benefits and gains. Over the years, the citizens of the state have witnessed illegal coal mining taking place in Meghalaya even after the NGT called for its ban in the year 2014. However, illegal coal mining is not the only unlawful activity that is threatening and endangering Meghalaya’s ecosystems. Rampant stone mining and quarries are now also on the list, contributing to the rapid decline of our forests and hills.
Illegal quarrying often occurs in areas where regulations are lax, and law enforcement is weak. In Meghalaya, just like illegal coal mining, illegal quarries too are operated or controlled by individuals or groups of people who seek to make quick profits without regard for long term consequences. Readily noticeable are the hillocks that have disappeared and the threats to the community forests in areas where stone quarrying is prevalent.
A tragic incident that took place recently, on April 14, 2023, on the Shillong-Dawki Road where two people lost their lives leaving nine others gravely injured, when boulders came crashing down on them, is a tell-tale sign that rampant quarrying still exists in the highways of Meghalaya. Frequent sand mining and quarrying activities, including the blasting of rocks along the highways, have been an ongoing phenomenon for the past few years. It would not surprising that the government including the Deputy CM himself should pin the blame on the road construction company rather than nabbing the actual culprits, knowing fully well that illegal stone mining is prevalent without proper regulation and without following the existing norms. There are also reports of the politician-NGO nexus in the quarrying activities along the Shillong-Dawki highway. It goes without saying that such blatant destruction of the environment could not have taken place without the blessing of people in power.
Unfortunately, the environment too is suffering under the wrath of stone mining as was concluded in a report by the CAG. Serious air, water, and environmental pollution are increasing rapidly due to the unregulated and indiscriminate mining. The unscientific method of mining is affecting groundwater that is being consumed by people; adding to soil erosion and loss of biodiversity. At a time when more trees should be planted to curb the growing menace of global warming that is increasing the heat of summers in Meghalaya, we are witnessing the loss of forests loosening of the soil and the destruction of our hills, adding to the degradation of our ecosystems.
The people of Meghalaya have borne witness to the many illegal activities that exist in our State. We have witnessed countless numbers of deaths due to illegal coal mining activities and are also bearing witness to deaths caused by illegal stone quarrying. We are witnessing the dangers our environment is undergoing because of such activities, wondering when we will get respite. Ironically, the governments then and the government now speak of curbing this menace, but as with illegal coal mining, the people of Meghalaya can only look to the intervention of the Honourable High Court to book the real culprits and save our beautiful state.
Yours etc.,
Pynshngain Lyndem,
Shillong – 22
Coal-based thermal plants for Meghalaya?
Editor,
Should the government set up a Thermal Power Plant that is powered by coal?
Meghalaya produces 5 lakh million to 8 lakh million tonnes of coal every year. A Thermal Power Plant can generate 1000 kilowatt hours of electricity on less than 400 kgs of coal. That is 5000 units from 2 tonnes of coal. With the rich amount of coal in the state, the government should invest in a Thermal Power Plant and streamline a scientific and safe mining protocol.
Meghalaya consumes less than 400 million units of electricity per year. This would hypothetically require 160000 tonnes of coal a year. For a state that produces 5 lakh million to 8 lakh million tonnes of coal a year, there is no dearth of fuel for Thermal Power Plants.
For comparison, the cost of setting up 1 MW capacity Thermal Plant is around Rs 4 crore while the cost of building 1 MW capacity Hydel Dam is around Rs. 7 crore. A 1 MW Thermal power plant would generate around 4000 units of electricity a day, which is around 1.46 million units per year. That would generate a revenue of around Rs. 53,29,000 per year (if my calculations are more or less correct). In fact, Indian Thermal Power Plants are the 5th most profitable in the world.
The only impediment to such an undertaking would be the policies of the Climate Change Alarmists, such as the unreasonably expensive cost of loan towards Thermal Power Plant projects.
One way of taking up such an undertaking would be through a joint venture between the State Government and a PSU like the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. For example, if the State Government and a PSU such as the NTPC undertakes a joint venture for a 1000 MW Thermal Plant, the state could get free energy out of 280 MW capacity, which will be enough to meet its internal power consumption. There can also be an agreement where a party, like NTPC can break even in X years, and continue operating for Y years, until the state government can acquire the project successfully.
Yours etc.,
Kitdor H. Blah,
Shillong
Political matrix
Editor,
When I was for a brief period with Satyam Computers a global corporate at Cybercity, Hyderabad before the Satyam scandal occurred, we learnt the six sigma certification theory that management graduates who are studying corporate business will understand. This requires a lot of critical benchmarks and a set of quality parameters that should be met and delivered to improve businesses across a wide spectrum. The present NPP led-government which looks like a classic juggler busy juggling everything with caution and proactiveness is something which even political critics have taken note off and I would say the present CM has to a certain extent translated his visionary ideas into action. The application of the six sigma concept in governance could thus help improve the delivery system via a robust monitoring mechanism thus ensuring that the remotest hamlet is able to be reached out those in authority. This effort would be amplified at the community level and at the government level as well.
Yours etc..
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar,
Via email