The Dibrugarh district administration has imposed a ban on illegal coal mining at Tarajan tea estate in the Naharkatia area.
Deputy commissioner-cum-district magistrate Pallav Gopal Jha in an order imposed restrictions on illegal coal mining in the tea estate under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
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The Tarajan tea estate is located behind the Tarajan hills, 5 km north-east of the Tipam-Deosali hill range under Digboi Forest Division.
“The prohibitory order on illegal coal mining at the Tarajan tea estate in Naharkatia will remain in force till further notice. Any person violating the order will be prosecuted under section 188 of the IPC,” the order signed by the Dibrugarh deputy commissioner mentioned.
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Sources said illegal rat-hole mining has been going on unabated in the Tarajan tea estate for a long time.
The pilferers use to dig out coal from the ground and then it is sold to big parties.
“The entire nexus has been going on under the nose of Joypur police station and after knowing about the illegal activities of rat-hole mining in the area the police do nothing. The coals are locally sold and after mining, the coal smugglers transported them through small trucks,” said a source.
Meanwhile, the environmentalists and nature lovers expressed satisfaction after the Dibrugarh district administration imposed a ban on illegal coal mining in the Tarajan tea estate.
“The illegal coal mining near Tarajan tea estate has been going on for a long time,” said an environmentalist.
“The coal smugglers extract coal whenever they need. It’s rat-hole mining, which is posing a threat to the entire biodiversity,” the environmentalist said.