Illegal coal mining

A delegation of members of the Assam Legislative Assembly, during a visit to Margherita in Tinsukia district, reportedly found that a lot of unfair practices have been going on in the coal mines there. The Assembly delegation’s objective was to assess the compliance of mining operations with regulatory standards and environmental norms. As reported in the lead news story of this newspaper in its Sunday edition, the Assembly delegation, during its visit to the collieries at Ledo, Tikok, Tirap, and Tipong—all within Tinsukia district—discovered that coal was being stockpiled in almost every house, particularly in the Tipong Firing Range area. As reported, when the MLAs’ delegation inquired about who the owners of the coal stockpiles were, the labourers working there feigned ignorance or slunk away to avoid being questioned. While the Assam Assembly delegation, comprising senior legislators, asked the district administration to verify the legality of the coal stocked there and to take action against the illegal owners, if any, the fact remains that illegal coal mining and the illegal movement of coal from Tinsukia district to other parts of the country are an open secret that escapes the eyes only of the government machinery. Illegal coal mining, mostly done by also flouting all environmental norms, has been in practice on both sides of the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-state boundary because the coal mines exist in both states. While the legislative team of the Assam assembly has reportedly underlined the need for stringent enforcement of mining regulations to curb illegal activities and ensure sustainable mining practices, it is also a general allegation that a number of powerful persons are hand-in-glove with the criminals in looting the country’s natural resources by all means. It should have been the primary duty of the elected representative from the area to keep an eye on the unlawful exploitation of coal in the Margherita region. Unabated, unscientific, and illegal exploitation of coal reserves in the area has reportedly caused irreparable and irreversible damage to the Patkai eco-system, and every layperson in the area will testify that the strategically crucial Patkai range has long ago lost its green and has turned ugly grey. Margherita probably calls for an urgent visit by the Chief Minister.