Coal mining

I would like to draw your attention regarding the Dehing-Patkai issue. Amid the countrywide lockdown, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recommended coal mining in a part of an elephant reserve in Assam.

Dehing Patkai, also known as the Amazon of the East is the only rainforest of Assam. It is a beautiful place with 293 species of birds, 101 orchids, 155 species of butterflies, 7 species of wildcats, indeed a home to fauna and fauna. Permitting coal mining in this region can have a devastating effect on the region as a whole. It will affect the fauna and flora greatly. In fact the whole ecosystem will be greatly affected. The wild animals, birds along with different species of plants and trees may get extinct and such a deforestation will only contribute to the problem of global warming. People have raised their voice against this. But there are many people still unaware of the whole situation. The issue has already caught some fire in popular social media platforms but not all of us are still aware of the real concerns and threats it posses. We can take the example of illegal mining activities in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. In April 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) clamped a ban on rat-hole mining in Meghalaya in response to a petition filed by two Assam-based organizations belonging to the Dimasa community. The petitioners contended that drinking water in the Kopili river was severely polluted with the acid produced in the coal mines of Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills. A similar situation may be presented to us, especially those living on the banks of the Dehing river that flows just beside the wildlife sanctuary. It has been long time since people have been using these tributaries of the Brahmaputra as the main source of water, contamination of such natural source of water is just one of the deadly concerns that these sort of legal or illegal mining possesses.

Another gift of human intervention has forced a lockdown on us but we can still prevent another such mishap from happening only by being aware.

With this I would like to shed some light on the gravity of the issue. It is high time we the people of Assam took this matter as a serious concern and raised our voice against it. The lockdown has forced us to stay inside but it cannot stop us from speaking up. We should all stand united against such a blatant destruction of this beautiful place. Let us for once appreciate the value of what and save the Amazon of the East.

Nikeeta Borkakoti,

Cotton university