Meghalaya Coal Mining Ban

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday praised as "people's victory" the Supreme Court directive to lift the National Green Tribunal ban on coal mining and said the verdict has upheld the rights of indigenous people on land and mineral deposits.

The Meghalaya government has founded itself in hot water after a three-member probe panel formed by the National Green Tribunal found that coal mining has been going on in the state despite a ban since 2014.

Days after a judicial panel headed by Retired Justice BK Katakey found largescale violations of a coal mining ban in Meghalaya, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday asked the state government to deposit Rs 100 crore with the central pollution control board towards restoring the environment.

In the last few weeks, the rat hole mine incident in Meghalaya has exposed the illegal mining of coal rampant here despite a carpet ban since 2014. Fifteen miners continue to be trapped inside a flooded 320-feet coal mine which collapsed 16 days ago. But almost all political parties in Meghalaya want the ban to go.

There seems to be no hope at the end of the tunnel for the 15 labourers trapped in a coal mine a fortnight ago, as search operations have been suspended by the Meghalaya government for want of high-powered pumps to flush out water from the pit

Liquor, petroleum and limestone will be more expensive in Meghalaya as the government on Monday levied fresh taxes on them to meet shrinking resources after the National Green Tribunal banned coal mining in the north-eastern state.

Coal-dependent industries in neighbouring Bangladesh have been badly affected in view of the ongoing ban imposed by a green tribunal on unscientific rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya, officials said in Shillong.

The National Green Tribunal will hold a meeting in Shillong on Monday to review its order banning coal mining in Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Thursday praised as "people's victory" the Supreme Court directive to lift the National Green Tribunal ban on coal mining and said the verdict has upheld the rights of indigenous people on land and mineral deposits.

The Meghalaya government has founded itself in hot water after a three-member probe panel formed by the National Green Tribunal found that coal mining has been going on in the state despite a ban since 2014.

Days after a judicial panel headed by Retired Justice BK Katakey found largescale violations of a coal mining ban in Meghalaya, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday asked the state government to deposit Rs 100 crore with the central pollution control board towards restoring the environment.

In the last few weeks, the rat hole mine incident in Meghalaya has exposed the illegal mining of coal rampant here despite a carpet ban since 2014. Fifteen miners continue to be trapped inside a flooded 320-feet coal mine which collapsed 16 days ago. But almost all political parties in Meghalaya want the ban to go.

There seems to be no hope at the end of the tunnel for the 15 labourers trapped in a coal mine a fortnight ago, as search operations have been suspended by the Meghalaya government for want of high-powered pumps to flush out water from the pit

Liquor, petroleum and limestone will be more expensive in Meghalaya as the government on Monday levied fresh taxes on them to meet shrinking resources after the National Green Tribunal banned coal mining in the north-eastern state.

Coal-dependent industries in neighbouring Bangladesh have been badly affected in view of the ongoing ban imposed by a green tribunal on unscientific rat-hole coal mining in Meghalaya, officials said in Shillong.

The National Green Tribunal will hold a meeting in Shillong on Monday to review its order banning coal mining in Meghalaya.