NGT asks Meghalaya Police to check illegal mining in state after mishap

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Meghalaya Police to investigate into nearly 1,200 cases of illegal quarrying across the state. This comes in the wake of 15 miners being trapped in an illegal coal mine in December 2018. The whereabouts of the trapped miners are yet to be known even as the rescue operations are underway. The three-member NGT committee, constituted in August last year, is currently studying the environmental aspects of rat-hole mining in the state. The police have been told that their investigation should reach a logical conclusion after taking into account all 1,200 cases of illegal rat-hole mining in East Garo Hills, South-West Khasi Hills and West and East Jaintia Hills districts.

According to sources, the NGT committee, which has sought police investigation into the registered cases of illegal mining, is set to visit the state by January-end. On December 13, water from nearby Lytein river flooded a network of tunnels in a coal mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills, trapping 15 men and prompting a rescue attempt that has failed to yield any result so far.

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In 2014, the green body had imposed a blanket ban on coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya citing unscientific methods and absence of safety measures. However, illegal mining is rampant in the state and this is evident from the fact that heaps of freshly dug coal is dumped on both sides of the road that approaches Lumthari from Khliehriat, the district headquarters of East Jaintia Hills.

Rat-hole mining involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually 3-4 feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed “rat-holes”, as each just about fits one person.

The NGT committee, headed by retired judge Justice (Retd) B P Katakey, will conduct a field visit to South Garo Hills on January 30-31 to study the ground-level situation, they said.

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Katakey told PTI that 98 cases of illegal quarrying have been registered in East Jaintia Hills district alone since the ban. The committee, after a thorough study, will prepare a report and present it before the tribunal by March 31, he said.

“We have directed an investigation into nearly 1200 cases of illegal mining and transportation of coal since the 2014 ban. In East Jaintia Hills, the SP has been asked to submit a report at the earliest in connection with the 98 cases recorded in the district,” Katakey said as quoted by the news agency.