Meghalaya once again bans rat hole coal mining in Jaintia Hills district
POWER & RENEWABLE ENERGY

Meghalaya once again bans rat hole coal mining in Jaintia Hills district

Following the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) earlier, the district administrations of East Jaintia Hills District once again promulgated prohibitory orders banning rat hole coal mining in the district.

A district administration official said that the prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC was issued also against illegal transportation and dumping of coal in noncompliance with the directions issued by the NGT earlier.

"Action would be taken against transportation of coal without valid challan or documents or permission, license issued by the competent authority to and from the district," the official said.

The DM's notification said that violation of the order shall attract penal actions under Section 188 of IPC apart from the other relevant laws.

Environmental activists in Meghalaya and Assam have said that despite the orders and recommendations of the Supreme Court and NGT, banning the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya, the mining continued unlawfully and exported to Bangladesh and other places with the authorities turning a blind eye.

Expressing strong displeasure, a three-member bench of the Meghalaya High Court led by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee recently asked the state Chief Secretary to ensure that illegal coal mining activities are stopped at once and a committee free from political interference be set up to monitor the execution of Supreme Court and NGT's directions and recommendations.

In April 2014, NGT had banned the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya. Many workers got trapped in the illegal and unsafe mines and subsequently died - five in May/June last year but only three bodies were retrieved from the flooded coal mine after hectic efforts for over 27 days in East Jaintia Hills district; in December 2018, in a major tragedy in the same district, 15 migrant miners from Assam died inside in an abandoned coal mine. The 15 miners, whose bodies were never found, had been stuck in the coal mine at a depth of nearly 370 feet after a tunnel was flooded with water from the nearby Lytein river.

Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills district shares borders with Assam and Bangladesh.

Following the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) earlier, the district administrations of East Jaintia Hills District once again promulgated prohibitory orders banning rat hole coal mining in the district. A district administration official said that the prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC was issued also against illegal transportation and dumping of coal in noncompliance with the directions issued by the NGT earlier. Action would be taken against transportation of coal without valid challan or documents or permission, license issued by the competent authority to and from the district, the official said. The DM's notification said that violation of the order shall attract penal actions under Section 188 of IPC apart from the other relevant laws. Environmental activists in Meghalaya and Assam have said that despite the orders and recommendations of the Supreme Court and NGT, banning the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya, the mining continued unlawfully and exported to Bangladesh and other places with the authorities turning a blind eye. Expressing strong displeasure, a three-member bench of the Meghalaya High Court led by Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee recently asked the state Chief Secretary to ensure that illegal coal mining activities are stopped at once and a committee free from political interference be set up to monitor the execution of Supreme Court and NGT's directions and recommendations. In April 2014, NGT had banned the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya. Many workers got trapped in the illegal and unsafe mines and subsequently died - five in May/June last year but only three bodies were retrieved from the flooded coal mine after hectic efforts for over 27 days in East Jaintia Hills district; in December 2018, in a major tragedy in the same district, 15 migrant miners from Assam died inside in an abandoned coal mine. The 15 miners, whose bodies were never found, had been stuck in the coal mine at a depth of nearly 370 feet after a tunnel was flooded with water from the nearby Lytein river. Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills district shares borders with Assam and Bangladesh.

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Coal Ministry to Launch Digital Exploration Module

The Ministry of Coal will unveil a digital Exploration Module on the Single Window Clearance System (SWCS) on 4 July 2025. Developed with CMPDIL, the module digitises the end-to-end coal exploration approval process—from submission to clearance—ensuring faster, transparent decision-making.This addition enhances SWCS, which already hosts Mining Plan, Mine Opening, and Clearance modules integrated with NSWS and PARIVESH. The portal has reduced proposal processing time by 50%, bolstering India’s energy security and e-governance vision. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Govt Launches 3-Month Financial Inclusion Drive

The Department of Financial Services has launched a 3-month nationwide campaign (July–Sept 2025) to saturate Financial Inclusion schemes at the Gram Panchayat and Urban Local Body levels. Key activities include opening bank accounts under PMJDY, enrolment in PMJJBY, PMSBY, and APY, and conducting digital fraud awareness sessions.The first day saw camps in over 2,000 GPs with enthusiastic public participation. The campaign targets all 2.7 lakh GPs and ULBs in India. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Cabinet Approves Rs 1 Lakh Cr RDI Scheme for Innovation

The Union Cabinet has approved the Research Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme with a Rs 1 lakh crore outlay to boost private sector R&D in strategic and emerging areas. The scheme offers long-tenure, low-interest funding to support innovation, technology adoption, and competitiveness.Governed by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, the scheme will include a two-tier fund structure and support deep-tech startups, acquisition of critical technologies, and high TRL projects. ..

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?