VPP rips into MDA over ‘inaction’ on illegal coal mining after EJH blast kills 27

CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: The opposition Voice of the People's Party (VPP) on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA), accusing the government of systemic failure, lack of political will and sustained inaction in curbing illegal coal mining and transportation, in the wake of a deadly dynamite explosion at an illegal coal mine in East Jaintia Hills (EJH) that claimed 27 lives and injured nine others.

Reacting to the tragedy, VPP spokesperson Batskhem Myrboh said, "We strongly condemn the MDA government for its lack of responsibility, accountability and inaction in checking illegal coal mining and illegal transportation of coal."

He said such recurring incidents have repeatedly exposed what he described as the government's lack of seriousness and commitment to governance based on the rule of law. According to the VPP, the continued operation of illegal mining networks under the MDA regime remains a matter of grave concern for the people of the state, reflecting an absence of political will to address the issue decisively.

Myrboh pointed out that the state government had, in the past, outright denied the existence of illegal coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya, only for subsequent accidents and fatalities to expose the reality on the ground. "The untoward incidents keep happening in the state, and they expose the lack of seriousness and commitment on the part of the MDA government to ensure governance in a society based on the rule of law," he said, adding that illegal coal mining continues unabated due to official indifference.

The VPP also extended condolences to the families of the victims of the East Jaintia Hills blast, noting that the incident was not an isolated one. It may be mentioned that a similar blast had occurred at the same location in December, while on January 14 this year, a labourer from Assam died while working in an illegal coal mine. Coal mine mishaps, both before and after the ban, have so far claimed at least 50 lives in the state.

The shadow of past disasters continues to loom large over East Jaintia Hills, particularly the December 2018 tragedy in Ksan, where 15 miners were trapped 370 feet underground in a flooded illegal mine after puncturing a water-filled chamber. Despite a months-long rescue operation involving multiple agencies, including the Indian Navy, only two decomposed bodies were recovered. Other fatal incidents include May 2021, when five miners were trapped in a flooded mine in Umpleng with no survivors found, and January 2021, when six miners plunged to their deaths after a crane snapped while lowering them into a 500-foot-deep shaft at an abandoned mine in the Sorkari area. Similar accidents were also reported in 2012 and 2019.

With limited livelihood options in Assam's Cachar, Sribhumi and Hailakandi districts, daily-wage labourers continue to migrate to these hazardous illegal mines in search of work, fully aware of the risks involved. While many such incidents go unreported, some surface only after turning into major tragedies, once again drawing attention to the persistence of illegal coal mining in Meghalaya.

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