Brief Budget Session Commences, Focus on Coal Mining

The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly commences its briefest budget session in history, beginning on Friday, focusing on coal mining.

During the opening of the assembly, Governor Phagu Chauhan made a significant announcement, highlighting the state government’s dedicated efforts to promote scientific coal mining.

Governor Chauhan informed the assembly that the Ministry of Coal, Government of India, had approved 17 applications for prospecting licenses. Among these, six applicants have already submitted their geological reports and received approval, while mining plans for four applicants are pending environmental clearance.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced that coal mining is set to resume in Meghalaya after nine long years. He stated that the Union Ministry of Coal has approved mining leases for four license applicants, paving the way for the start of scientific mining.

The Chief Minister stated that this approach aims to ensure minimal environmental impact through sustainable and legally compliant extraction procedures.

He reassured that the mining would adhere to scientific procedures, ensuring minimal environmental impact through sustainable and legally compliant extraction methods.

The chief minister stated that as part of scientific mining, the reclamation of coal mining areas and the use of advanced technologies such as remote assessment, aerial surveys, and 3D modeling would be prioritized, significantly mitigating environmental impact.

The National Green Tribunal imposed a blanket ban on rat-hole mining and illegal coal transportation in Meghalaya in 2014.

Rat hole mining entails digging very small tunnels, typically 3-4 feet in diameter, into which particularly children enter to extract coal. The National Green Tribunal banned rat hole mining in 2014, citing the risk of human fatalities due to unscientific mining practices.

Meghalaya possesses a total coal reserve of 640 million tonnes, a significant portion of which was earlier extracted through unscientific methods by individuals and communities. Consequently, the water sources of numerous rivers, particularly in the Jaintia Hills district, have become acidic.