From Biplab Kr Dey
MALLANGKONA, May 27: The residents of Mallangkona in West Khasi Hills have opposed a company’s drilling activities to extract iron ore at Chual Napram village (Werang Abri) under Nonglang Sordarship.
Earlier, they expressed surprise when the operators reached the village and claimed they had permission for iron ore mining.
Led by senior citizens and youth organizations, the locals from at least 25 villages visited the site on May 23 and saw the drilling machines digging deep.
The villagers asked the firm to stop drilling as permission was not obtained from them. Another reason behind the resistance was that iron ore mining could impact the environment and the water table. The site of drilling is close to the catchment area that supplies water to the villages in the area.
“When we contacted the prospectors, they said they had prospecting permission from the state and the mining department. However, other than one village headman, Madan Jira, who provided permission, the others were never consulted. This is a very serious matter and concerns the entire local population. We told them that we would not allow such a transgression in our area,” Enos G Momin, a local, said.
The villagers found that drilling was done for around 57 meters. Various depths showed various colours of stones and mud.
The prospectors failed to produce the documents of permission when the villagers had asked for the same. They promised to come back another day with all the documents.
On Monday, a large number of villagers gathered at the Mallangkona outpost to discuss the matter with the prospectors. During a meeting, they raised their objection, stating that the environment would be irreversibly damaged if mining was carried out in the area.
Later, the prospectors produced a prospecting license which showed that a composite mining license was issued for a period of 50 years with a mining area of 496 hectares.
“If mining is carried out in our area for 50 years, we will have nothing to live on. Our children will have nothing to live on. The catchment we have will be gone and no matter what they give us in return, we will not get back what we will lose,” a member of Garo Students’ Union, Aradonga unit, said.
He and some others from the union took part in the talks.
The prospectors assured that they will consult the villagers before taking any steps in the future. However, the villagers were not amused. The prospectors said it is only the first phase of the activities and as such, they do not have other documents.
“We will take all NOCs required and hold public meetings. If there is any objection, then we will not proceed further,” one of the prospectors said.
However, the members of the Mallangkona Area Development Organization (MADO) said they will not allow iron ore mining in the area.
“They may get all the permissions which are required but we will still not allow iron ore mining in our area. We care about our flora and fauna as well as the future of our children and our lives. We urge the state government to look into the matter and ensure that our lives are not threatened,” a member of MADO said.
The Mallangkona Youth Multipurpose Society also expressed opposition. The members of the society said they stand firm against the desecration of their lands for the profit of a few.
The villagers decided to lodge complaints with various departments and the office of the Chief Minister. They threatened to launch an agitation if their concerns are not addressed.