Scientific coal mining to begin this year in Meghalaya

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told the media that the scientific coal mining in the state of Meghalaya is expected to commence this year. Assertions of the chief minister came eight years after the ban of unscientific coal mining and transportation by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the North-eastern state. It is expected that the operations will begin in some mines in the next six to eight months. A total of 17 entities submitted their applications for coal prospecting license grants and each of them has received approval from the central government. He said that they are currently in the exploration stage for the generation of geological reports before getting mining leases. The chief minister told the media that since it is happening in the state for the first time it will be a slow process. Sangma said that this is going to be a learning experience for everyone including the landowners, miners, and government agencies. The process will be streamlined as we move forward. The chief minister told the media that several awareness programs especially for miners had been conducted in the different coal-rich areas of the state. In 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned unscientific rat-hole coal mining along with the transportation for the safety of miners as well as environmental protection. Image Source Also read: India expects private coal mines to produce 350-400 mt coal by 2030