Over 22,000 mine openings found in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills; panel recommends sealing on war footing

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 3, 2024

There are over 22,000 mine openings in East Jaintia Hills district alone.

This was revealed by a committee headed by retired Justice BP Katakey in his 26^th interim report submitted before the Meghalaya High Court, which recommended the completion of the sealing of the mine openings on war footing and on a phased manner in order to prevent further illegal mining and transportation of coal.

“The Committee having regard to the importance of sealing of the mine openings, which is required to prevent further illegal coal mining activities including mining and transportation, recommends completion of the entire process on war footing and on a phased manner, there being thousands of mine openings, either abandoned or active or which can be activated within a very short time. In East Jaintia Hills District itself there are more than 22000 mine openings as found by the North Eastern Science Application Centre (NESAC), in respect of which the Committee has already submitted an interim report before this Hon’ble Court. The process of actual sealing of the mine openings may take a very long time if such process is not started immediately,” Katakey said in his report.

The report said that the Committee in course of the inquiry conducted on the complaint received by it regarding continued illegal coal mining activities in South West Khasi Hills District has found the presence of countless coal mines in the said district, some of which could easily be reactivated in a very short time period, details of which have already been submitted by the Committee before this Hon’ble Court in its 25th Interim Report.

The  High Court by its order dated October 28, 2024 had also, having regard to the importance of sealing the entrance of the mines which could easily be reactivated, directed the state government to apprise the  Court as to the exact steps taken so as to prevent such reactivation, apart from the other issues.

It also stated that the Committee in its 24th Interim Report dated August 14, 2024 has also stated about the steps taken by the Meghalaya government for closure of existing mine openings, which is in a very nascent stage as the same is still at the stage of preparation of Detail Project Report (DPR) by the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL), which has been appointed as Project Management Consultant (PMC), by the state government, in respect of only few mine openings on trial basis.