NGT Panel Meet on Coal Mining in Shillong

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government on Tuesday has sought time from the NGT Committee on coal mining to make a policy decision on issues of auctioning and transportation of coal as per the direction of the Supreme Court. During the NGT panel meet which was held in the city, the government asked the Justice (retired) BP Katakey led-committee to give a month’s time to formulate a policy.

While granting the State Government the time sought for, Justice Katakey said, “This should be completed within the stipulated time,” even as he directed the government to file a progress report on the status of formulation of the policy on August 14. After the policy has been formulated, the document will be placed before the committee for consideration before a meeting with Coal India Limited.

It may be mentioned that the Supreme Court, has entrusted Coal India Limited to auction off the 32 lakh metric ton extracted coal lying in the State. Meanwhile, miners, traders, and transporters also met the NGT panel urging it to direct the State Government to speed up the formulation of a mining plan so that they can restart mining activities.

Also, another 137 individuals contented that the coal that will be auctioned should be allowed to be bought only by cement plants and power plants. Justice Katakey told that this will have to be decided by the State Government. Also, the NGT committee wanted to know how much quantities of coal has been procured by the cement and power plants since the ban on coal mining started on April 17, 2014.

According to Justice Katakey, the committee sought the year-wise production of clinkers by cement companies and the power produced by power plants since 2014 and till 2018-19. Moreover, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NGT panel meet, Justice Katakey suggested that small miners should form cooperatives among themselves for undertaking scientific mining.

Speaking on a personal note, the NGT committee chairman informed that in Jaiñtia Hills alone, there are almost 24,000 mines, which may not be possible for the individual miners to have individual mining plans. Justice Katakey said, “They may find a way out by maybe forming a society or a cooperative.”

He also said that the idea of open cast mining would not be explored since coal seams here are very thin even as he added that high wall mining is possible in Meghalaya, but it may not be economically viable for individual miners and therefore Justice Katakey called for the need by small miners to form societies or cooperatives.

Also Read: Supreme Court Allows Coal Mining in Meghalaya