The government says the scale of coal mining activities in East Jaintia Hills has made enforcement against illegal mining extremely difficult despite ongoing crackdowns.
Shillong, May 8: The Meghalaya government on Thursday admitted that monitoring illegal coal mining across the state remains a major challenge, particularly in East Jaintia Hills where authorities estimate there are more than 22,000 coal mines.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the latest interim report submitted by the Justice (retd) B.P. Katakey Committee highlighted continued illegal coal extraction and transportation despite existing court restrictions. However, he maintained that the government is continuing enforcement efforts and remains committed to implementing directions issued by the Supreme Court, Meghalaya High Court and the National Green Tribunal.
According to Sangma, the sheer number of mining sites has made continuous monitoring nearly impossible with the present manpower and administrative resources available on the ground.
“The report itself mentions that East Jaintia Hills alone has around 22,000 mines. This makes continuous monitoring extremely difficult,” the Chief Minister said.
He explained that enforcement teams may monitor thousands of sites at one time, but illegal activities often resume in previously inspected areas once officials move elsewhere.
Calling the issue “far more complex than it appears,” Sangma said additional personnel from other districts have been deployed to strengthen enforcement operations in East Jaintia Hills and nearby regions.
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The 37th Interim Report of the Justice Katakey Committee stated that illegal coal mining and transportation continue in several areas despite repeated court orders banning such activities.
The report noted that authorities seized 18,479.826 metric tonnes of coal along with 47 vehicles allegedly linked to illegal transportation.
The committee also reported the presence of freshly extracted coal, active mining pits, machinery, tools and suspected use of explosives in some locations.
So far, authorities have issued 33 notices and arrested 29 persons in connection with illegal coal mining and transportation cases.
