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States » EastPosted at: Mar 17 2025 9:46PM


First scientific coal mine inaugurated in Meghalaya

Shillong, Mar 17 (UNI) Meghalaya on Monday started the first-ever scientific coal mining after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned rat-hole coal mining in the state.
The first scientific coal mining block in the state - ‘Saryngkham-A’ Coal Mine, Byndihati in coal-rich East Jaintia Hills district. The coal block has been leased to one coal miner Dapmain Shylla from Byndihati and the mining will be conducted scientifically.
In January 2025, the Meghalaya government received the final clearance for scientific coal mining after three miners signed escrow agreements with the Controller of Coal, Government of India
The NGT had imposed a blanket ban on coal mining in Meghalaya in 2014, following widespread safety and environmental concerns over traditional unscientific rat-hole mining, leading to random death of several miners, especially in the coal-rich Jaintia Hills region of the state
However, the Meghalaya government approached the Supreme Court and got the NGT ban lifted in 2019. This necessitated that a mining plan be formulated that is scientific with the least harm to the environment. It also required plans to lease out the coal block through a fair and transparent process
“After almost a decade of ban on coal mining, we have today inaugurated the first scientific coal mine in East Jaintia Hills. Truly a historic and red-letter day for the people of Meghalaya,” Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who inaugurated the first scientific coal mine through video conferencing from New Delhi, said.
He congratulated all concerned stakeholders, including officials, mine owners, other mining lease applicants, and the owner of this particular mining lease, Dapmain Shylla, who have all contributed to making scientific mining in Meghalaya a reality.
“The last 10 to 11 years had been one of the most difficult years for a lot of the citizens of the state, especially those who are directly and indirectly connected with the coal industry as they went through great financial hardship due to the ban on mining,” the Chief Minister said.
Sangma recalled that in 2018 when he became the Chief Minister for the first time, the issue of coal mining ban was accorded top priority by the National People’s Party-led government with the hard work in the last six to seven years having yielded fruits through the inauguration of the first scientific mining coal block on Monday.
“The journey wasn't so easy or clear. It was like moving through uncharted territory. Meghalaya had many challenges, apart from the technological aspect, there are unique land rights (sixth scheduled provisions that gives right over land to the people) and land holding systems which are very different from the rest of the country,” the Chief Minister said.
However, he said all these aspects were worked out by the state government with assistance from the center so that some of the provisions of the central acts didn’t collide with the state’s unique land tenure and landholding system.
The Chief Minister also said that the process of ensuring that other applicants receive the same mining permissions and can scientifically start the mining is on.
Sangma said further that with the inauguration of the first scientific coal mine, in the future there will be many more that will follow and iterated that the government will encourage others to also apply so that this can become a normal procedure.
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