SHILLONG, Aug 25: The public hearing for scientific coal mining in East Jaintia Hills has garnered significant support from stakeholders, according to Naba Bhattacharjee, Chairman of the State Expert Appraisal Authority on Environment. The hearing, which was conducted by the Deputy Commissioner and the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB), saw the participation of hundreds of people and proceeded without any issues.
Bhattacharjee noted that the hearing was well-attended, with a large turnout of local residents and stakeholders. “As per the information available, it went off smoothly and a lot of people attended. A few hundred were present, and another hearing is scheduled for August 28 in Jaintia Hills,” he stated. He also mentioned that a comprehensive report on all the public hearings will be compiled and submitted for further review.
Recently, an environmental public hearing was held for a coal mining project known as ‘Saryngkham A Coal Mine’, which spans an area of 148 hectares in Myndihati, Umsngad village, East Jaintia Hills. Many attendees expressed their full support for the project, emphasising the importance of using modern technology and scientific methods for coal mining.
In a related development, headmen from several villages in East Jaintia Hills have strongly endorsed the proposal to resume coal mining through scientific methods.
During a public hearing for the Nehlang Lyngdoh Coal Block at Lumlakhi Wahsarang in Khliehriat C&RD Block, these community leaders underscored the detrimental impact of the National Green Tribunal’s decade-long ban on unscientific coal mining, which has been in place since 2014.
