Scientific Coal Mining to Resume in Meghalaya Within 60 Days: Conrad Sangma

SHILLONG: The Chief Minister of Meghalaya has mentioned that coal mining in the state is likely to be resumed legally in the upcoming months after it was banned in 2014. Speaking at an election rally, Corand Sangma said that the Central government has approved the mining leases for four people and this development has paved the way for scientific mining in the state of Meghalaya.

The Union Coal Ministery wrote to the Secretary of the Mining and Geology Department of the Government of Meghalaya on April 24 mentioning this development. The letter mentioned that the mining leases were approved for Nehlang Lyngdoh, Maksing Sibren Nongbri, Thomas Nongtdu, and Wenni Diengngan in the Khliehriat, Kalagaw, Byndihati and Nongstoin coal blocks respectively/

“The National People’s Party-led government has been working tirelessly to open up mining in our State. We filed a case in 2019 after which the Supreme Court lifted the ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT),” said Conrad Sangma. He was speaking during a political rally in the State’s Sohiong constituency.

Elections for the Sohiong constituency had to be postponed from February 27 due to the death of HDR Lyngdoh, the United Democratic Party candidate for the Sohiong constituency while taking part in an election rally. The elections for the same will now be held on May 10 with a total of six candidates including National People’s Party’s Samlin Malngiang competing for the seat.

The Chief Minister added that the state government is now handling the necessary paperwork to ensure that coal mining can be resumed in a scientific process within the next two months. This announcement comes days after the High Court had declined to allow the state government from exporting the illegally mined coal to neighbouring Bangladesh, which has a high demand for the fossil fuel.

Despite a complete ban on coal mining, rat-hole mining still goes on in several locations of the state and leads to the occasional mining accidents in the state.

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