Smugglers using waterways to smuggle coal

FROM OUR STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, July 16: Illegal coal transportation from Meghalaya to Bangladesh has taken the route of waterways after the tiol Green Tribul (NGT) ruling of April 2014.

The NGT has intermittently prohibited the transportation of coal unless the royalty is being paid by the coal mine owners. The ban on transportation of coal was re-imposed by the authorities of the districts bordering Bangladesh. However, the smugglers are trying to adopt this unscrupulous way of smuggling coal to Bangladesh taking the riverine route, stated the Border Security Force.

“A raft made up of more than 200 bamboos is capable of carrying 150 no of coal bags and these rafts are used by the smugglers to smuggle coal and timbers to Bangladesh”, informed a senior BSF official posted in the Meghalaya Frontier.

On Wednesday night, troops of 132 Battalion of the n BSF seized nine rafts containing coal and seven rafts of timber destined to Bangladesh near Intertiol Boundary from river Simsang in South Garo Hills District.

Till the NGT ruling, the BSF has been able to seize 3,98,958 Kgs of coal, 2,225.431 cft wooden logs and 20,960 nos of bamboos since last six months while being smuggled out to Bangladesh.