SHILLONG: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) (comprising of various stake holders including the Head of villages, Syiem of Sohra, NGOs, MLA & MDC of Sohra constituency) have urged upon the State to lift the ban on mining of coal within Sohra Civil Sub Division.
“The banning of coal mining by the NGT has greatly affected the livelihood of the people of Sohra not to speak of the economic difficulties faced by them,” JAC chairman and Syiem of Sohra F Syiem said in a letter submited to Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma here on Friday.
According to Syiem, the ban has rendered many jobless and at the brink of destitution and vagrancy and many have loss hopes especially when most of them are sole bread earners and do not have alternative source of income adding that the mining of coal is the backbone of the economy of majority of the population of Sohra and its surroundings.
Having noticed the plight of the people of Sohra especially those depending on their livelihood from mining of coal, the JAC chairman said that they have formed this committee to find ways and means to alleviate the difficulties and suffering of the people affected by the recent ban.
“We take this opportunity that quarrying and excavation of coal within Sohra Syiemship is done in a small scale and rather it is in the form of cottage industry. We want to know that no coal is transported outside the Syiemship and neither the mining of the same affects the river or the environment,” Syiem said.
He said that the people of Sohra have been excavating coal since time immemorial and coal excavated are consumed locally and being supplied mostly to limestone kilns within Sohra and also to Mawmluh Cherra Cement Company Ltd (MCCL).
“We would also like to bring to your kind knowledge and information that the people of Sohra are not agriculturist primarily because of the weather and soil condition, that apart there is no other sustainable avenues or ventures,” Syiem of Sohra said.
While pointing out that unless the CM’s office takes necessary steps and actions to effect a waiving of the ban so far Sohra is concerned, the JAC chairman said that irreparable loss and damage will continue to occur to the inhabitants of Sohra especially those surviving from this small scale enterprise.
