Assam: Officials team visits illegal coal mining site at Margherita

A CORRESPONDENT

MARGHERITA: Mintu Modi, a resident of Tinsukia on December 28, 2024, had submitted a written complaint to the Deputy Director General of Forest (Central) regarding illegal coal mining at colliery areas under 83 No. Margherita constituency.  After this, today a delegation composed of members from various government departments visited the illegal coal mining site at Tikak and Tirap colliery under NEC CIL Margherita and took stock of the situation.

The team comprised of complainer Mintu Modi from Tinsukia, K Mere, General Manager NEC Coal India ltd Margherita, TC Ranjith Ram, Divisional Forest Officer Digboi Forest Division, Parikshit Thoudam, Margherita Co-District Commissioner, Dr Hemen Hazarika, Thoudan James Singh from Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change, Khagen Saikia and Anupam Phukan from Mining and Geology Department government of Assam, Assam Pollution Control Board, Margherita Police, and Assam Forest Protection Force.

It may be mentioned that GP Singh, Director General of Police, has ordered to seal all illegal rat hole mining and other activities at Margherita region within a week. Following this, Margherita Co-District administration and other concerned departments have taken strong measures to control illegal coal mining activities.

L Ratan Singh, General Secretary of International Human Rights Council, Tinsukia District Committee, said that the council welcomed a crucial directive from the High Court due to which investigation has started at all illegal coal mining areas under Margherita region where as per this order, all illegal coal mining activities in the Margherita region must be immediately stopped.

However, the committee has received reports that illegal mining is still being carried out in Tipong, Tirap,Tikak, Namdang, Bargolai Lekhapani, and Ledo at an alarming rate where out of 125 coke coal Bhattas, only 55 bhattas have proper documents. The International Human Rights Council demanded that the concerned department must take strict action against the proprietors of coke coal Bhattas and punish them under the law, said L Ratan Singh.

The committee has further announced that it will keep a close watch on coal mining activities in the region and will seek the High Court's intervention if necessary. The team has revealed that illegal coal mining is rampant in Margherita region and further action shall be taken against those who were involved in coal scams.

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