50 Illegal Coke Plants Busted at Kharsang in Changlang district

Our Correspondent

DIGBOI: A joint inspection team comprising of Anirudh Saran Singh, the Secretary, Geology and Mining, and Tassar Talar, the Director, Geology and Mining, district administration, police and officials of Geology and Mining, Kharsang busted as many as 50 coke manufacturing plants here recently at Kharsang in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The plants were being operated illegally by Assam traders in liaison with the local businessmen of the area. ADC Miao, SDO Kharsang and SDPO Miao were also present during the drive.

The Secretary (G&M) instructed the ADC, Miao to initiate prompt action against persons involved in illegal mining activities and to seize and confiscate all the coal and coke. The inspecting team found huge quantity of coal and coke dumps within the premises of the manufacturing units which were sealed. The top officials, after dismantling the plants, also decided to stop the unlawful coal mining activities in the Kharsang area with immediate effect.

Earlier, the residents of Longtom village, the epicentre of illegal mining in Kharsang circle, informed the inspection team that raw crude coal was extracted from Namchik - Namphuk coal field area and supplied to more than 50 coke plants situated within Kharsang at Rs 9,000 per tipper.

Needless to say that these plants were the principle procurers of the locally abundant raw coal which is converted into coke and sold at high prices outside Arunachal Pradesh, resulting in huge loss of revenue to the State exchequer. Several complaints were lodged earlier at various competent tables of the government regarding operation of the plants illegally without complying with the legal provisions.

The existence of more than 50 coke coal manufacturing plants and open extraction of coal at such a magnitude in Kharsang and Miao is testimony to the fact that the racket cannot be so deep-rooted without the support of politicians, administration, police and officials of mining and forest department.

The illegal mining operations in the areas covering Kharsang and Namchik-Namphuk along the Assam-Arunachal border and its vicinity have indeed caused large-scale and irreparable damage to the green cover and wildlife.

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