Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court recently issued an interim order, prohibiting all mining activities on Tikok colliery by Coal India Ltd or any other person in the Proposed Saleki Reserve Forest of Tinsukia district in Assam with immediate effect.
The orders came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Minmoy Khataniar and others.
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The petitioner, a lawyer of Gauhati High Court, had sought the court’s intervention in the depleting forest in the Saleki Proposed Reserve Forest and the illegal mining activities allegedly being carried out in the area.
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It was submitted that Coal India Ltd was continuing its mining operations even after the expiry of the original lease period in 2003, without the approval of the Central government and in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and directions of the Supreme Court.
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In response to the PIL, the court held that the state government had failed to fulfil the letter of conditions issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and directed the Central government to ensure that no coal mining takes place till all penalties and compensatory levies are deposited and Stage-II approval for the project is granted by the Ministry.
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The court also directed the state government to take action against officials responsible for allowing the mining activities and to submit a compliance report.
This order is expected to have major implications for the people of the Tinsukia district as it will help protect the depleting forest and its wildlife.