By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 7: The Meghalaya government has acknowledged that the sheer scale of coal mining in the state, running into over 22,000, especially in East Jaintia Hills, makes effective monitoring and enforcement against illegal operations extremely difficult.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma admitted that the 37th Interim Report of the Justice (retd) B.P. Katakey Committee has flagged continued illegal coal extraction and transportation in violation of court orders. He, however, asserted that the government remains committed to enforcing all court directives. “The report itself mentions that East Jaintia Hills alone has around 22,000 mines. This makes continuous monitoring extremely difficult with the existing manpower and administrative setup,” Sangma said.
He explained that even if enforcement teams monitor 5,000 to 6,000 locations at a time, thousands of other sites remain unmonitored. By the time teams shift to new areas, mining activities often resume in previously checked locations.
Describing the issue as far more complex than it appears, the Chief Minister maintained that the government is sincere in its efforts. He added that additional manpower has been shifted from other districts to strengthen enforcement in East Jaintia Hills and surrounding areas.
The remarks come in response to the latest findings of the one-man committee headed by Justice Katakey. The report states that illegal mining and transportation of coal continue in parts of Meghalaya despite directions from the Supreme Court, Meghalaya High Court, and the National Green Tribunal.
According to the report, enforcement agencies seized 18,479.826 metric tonnes of coal and 47 vehicles involved in illegal activities. The committee also observed large quantities of freshly mined coal, active mines, tools, machinery, and the alleged use of explosives at several sites.
The enforcement drive has so far resulted in 33 notices being issued and 29 persons arrested in connection with illegal coal mining and transportation cases.
