Shillong: The Meghalaya High Court, criticising the state government, has said that despite several orders from the Supreme Court, National Green Tribunal (NGT), High Court, illegal mining of coal continues in the state, with possible ‘state participation and even encouragement’. Thangkhiew and W. Diengdoh, slamming the state government on Wednesday said that illegal mining continued despite the court’s several orders issued as a consequence of the ban imposed by the NGT which was upheld by the Supreme Court. Katakey (retired), is that prior to the imposition of the ban, the total quantum of coal available was 19,54,258 M.T. Justice Katakey would oversee the transportation and sale of even such part of the coal and any further quantity that may be seized by the state as a consequence of the illegal mining that continues, the HC said. In April 2014, NGT had banned the indiscriminate and hazardous rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya.

Source: Daily Nation December 09, 2022 02:02 UTC