SHILLONG: Several trucks laden with coal were seen in Dawki and Jowai on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court banned coal transportation in Meghalaya till February 19.
Separate sources said trucks were lined up on the highways in these two places inconveniencing commuters.
“Transportation has been stopped then why these trucks were allowed on the highway. Isn’t it violation of the court order,” said a commuter who had a harrowing time getting out of the traffic snarl.
However, a senior customs official said no trucks were allowed after the chief secretary’s directive on Tuesday following the court order.
When asked whether the already loaded trucks were sent back, the official said, “It is not in our purview to ask the trucks to go back. We only see whether export should be allowed or not. All I can say is that after the directive no truck was allowed by the custom office in Dawki.”
When contacted, West Jaintia Hills SP Lakador Syiem explained the situation.
“There were coal trucks stranded on the highway even before the SC order. So now that the order is in place, we have asked them to go back to their depots. They are not transporting to Guwahati. But today (on Wednesday), a trailer broke down and it created the traffic snarl. These coal trucks could not pass through and so people are blaming these vehicles. The breakdown happened somewhere near Mookyndur-Ummulong area. But now the traffic is normal,” he told The Shillong Times on phone.
When asked why coal-laden trucks were moving towards Dawki, the SP clarified that those vehicles were returning from Dawki.
“But they cannot directly turn and have to go till the end of the road. Some trucks were overloaded and could not come. So DMR and transport (officers) had to order unloading,” Syiem said.
To a query on where these overloaded trucks were being unloaded, Syiem said he was unaware as his job concerned traffic arrangement.
A local from Dawki said there is a coal depot at Riahjalong on Muktapur road and coal trucks from Nongstoin were coming to this siding for unloading.
Even before the apex court order of Tuesday, the East Jaintia Hills district administration has started cracking the whip on illegal coal mining and many trucks were seized on Monday evening.
The magistrate along with police conducted vehicle checking at Kongong and detected one truck with Assam registration driven by Kyrshan Manar, while illegally transporting coal beyond permissible limit without Mineral Transportation and Meghalaya Environment Protection and Restoration Fund challans.
Another truck with Meghalaya registration was detected at Kongong. It was driven by Hamduh Dkhar. The truck was illegally transporting coal beyond permissible limit.
Five more illegal coal trucks with Assam registration and nine from Meghalaya were also detained for ferrying without proper documents.
Meanwhile, a member of the Meghalaya State Coordination Committee of Coal Owners, Miners and Dealers’ Forum said it has not decided yet whether to petition against the Supreme Court order and a meeting of all members will be held soon.
He also expressed hope that the state government may allow the already loaded trucks to transport coal.
Bhutan trucks stopped
Dolly Khonglah, the secretary of the Meghalaya International Exporters Chamber of Commerce, said 20 coal trucks from Bhutan were also stopped by custom officials.
“What do they have to do with coal from Bhutan? When the trucks were from Bhutan and the truckers produced valid papers, why were they stopped,” she questioned.
