Guwahati: The Centre is considering a separate framework to help Meghalaya transition from traditional rat-hole coal mining to scientific mining, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma told the state Assembly on August 25.
Responding to a short-duration discussion raised by VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, Sangma said the Union Coal Ministry had recognised that Meghalaya’s mining conditions differ significantly from those in other parts of the country and was examining a customised approach.
Coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya were banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 over concerns surrounding unscientific rat-hole mining. The Supreme Court later permitted scientific mining in 2019, subject to compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Sangma said the transition to scientific mining has been challenging because most coal-bearing land in Meghalaya is under traditional ownership. He also pointed to the state’s geological conditions, saying steep coal seams make open-cast mining unsuitable in several areas.
“The Coal Ministry has been seeing the Meghalaya case differently, and it has to create a framework that balances safety and livelihood,” Sangma said.
The Chief Minister said he recently met the Union Coal Minister in Delhi along with the MLA from Sutnga-Saipung to discuss the difficulties involved in shifting to scientific mining. He said the Union minister subsequently directed officials to examine the matter and work towards a practical solution.
Sangma said he had requested a time-bound response from the Centre and sought a review of the existing requirement of a minimum 100 hectares of land for mining operations.
According to him, Meghalaya wants the minimum land requirement reduced to a level that local mine owners can realistically meet, while maintaining necessary safeguards for workers and the environment.
The state government has also discussed the issue with the Additional Secretary of the Coal Ministry, explaining why Meghalaya requires a framework suited to its specific mining conditions, Sangma said.
He highlighted the challenges faced by indigenous miners, many of whom have limited technical expertise and have found it difficult to adopt modern mining techniques following the ban on rat-hole mining.
The scale of mining in East Jaintia Hills has further complicated the transition. Sangma claimed that the district has around 22,000 coal mines, making regulatory oversight particularly difficult.
“With this number of mines, you cannot even imagine. It is a struggle for the officials to ensure that the operations are carried out according to the law,” he said.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that illegal mining has resulted in mine closures and affected the livelihoods of communities dependent on coal. However, he said the government’s objective was to facilitate legal mining while taking action against illegal operations.
Any new framework, Sangma said, would need to strike a balance between legal mining, worker safety and environmental protection while ensuring that communities dependent on the coal sector are not deprived of their livelihoods.