Biplab Kr Dey
Mendipathar, Dec 29: In a historic first for the state of Meghalaya, yesterday witnessed the first time that a train carrying a consignment of coal, left the state through the Mendipathar Railway Station in the district of North Garo Hills (NGH).
The consignment of coal originated from Shallang in West Khasi Hills (WKH) from one of the few legal mining quarries provided licenses to operate after the ban of rat hole mining more than a decade ago. The coal made its way to the Mendipathar station through the villages of Rongjeng, Songsak, Soksan and onto Mendipathar, covering a total distance of about 120 kms from the point of origin.
As per sources, a total of 270 trucks (1109) were used to transport the coal which was packed into 42 containers (rakes) and left for its destination – the capital of India, New Delhi at about 8:30 PM yesterday, Dec 28. The total amount of coal sent out in the first batch was close to 2500 MT.
The first ever rake load to leave the state was flagged off by the local legislator of Mendipathar, Marthon J Sangma.
Hailing the moment, Sangma stated that the consignment is the first of many to come in the future and expressed optimism at the prospects facing the state and mining of coal.
“Everything was done legally after following due process. The coal came from the legal quarry from WKH with each truck carrying legal loads (9 MT). All trucks came with legal challans issued from the same quarry and were verified by government departments. The government is serious about ensuring all legalities are followed and we are extremely happy that the entire process was a success,” felt Marthon.
The legislator felt the use of trains for the transport of coal will soon become a game changer for all legally mined coal in the state of Meghalaya.
“The cost of transportation of coal through trucks to even places in Assam is extremely expensive and time consuming. There are many constraints even with all legal documents in place. Using trains to transport will not only reduce costs for miners but also reduce the price of coal originating from the state of Meghalaya by a huge margin. This is a win-win situation for everyone,” felt the Mendipathar MLA.
Coal, of Meghalaya origin, is in extremely high demand across the country as well as in neighbouring Bangladesh mainly due to its high calorific value. It is used across many industries but the ban on rat hole mining led to investors and factory owners looking elsewhere. It also increased the prices of coal from Meghalaya, making it unaffordable to many and even inaccessible at times.
The benefits of the use of rakes to transport coal are manifold.
“Firstly, the government and the state will benefit from the royalty and taxes that legal coal will bring about. These same funds can then be used to develop the state as well as the District Council. Further, the use of rakes will help the Indian Railway earn some much needed income. Earlier we only had incoming FCI rakes but now, legally mined coal will provide a further boost to the station and justify its creation more than a decade ago.” stated Marthon.
The Mendipathar Railway Station was inaugurated in the year 2013 and yesterday marked the first time that goods of Meghalaya origin actually found its way outside the state, through this channel.
“This is the first of many more such goods trains that will ferry products from our state. Besides, this will also help create business opportunities for many across the route being used. Though this time we used specialized labourers to offload and upload coal to the rakes, willing local labourers will also be included in the process once things smoothen. This is an opportunity for all to benefit and we are hopeful that our coal and other products will make their way into the midst of the entire country in the future,” felt Marthon.
The transportation of coal through rakes is expected to lower the cost of Meghalaya coal and ensure its availability for industries that require it.
