Guwahati: Meghalaya High Court has reportedly asked the State Government to indicate the number of Central Armed Police Forces personnel required to effectively monitor and check the illegal mining and transportation of coal in the State.
The High Court also suggested that the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) can have a more aggressive role to control and monitor the illegal mining and transportation of coal.
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The Court further directed the State Government to devise schemes so that people engaged in dangerous mining can be provided with alternative livelihood.
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The HC also said that awareness and education would also go a long way in arresting the menace.
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In 2014, the National Green Tribunal issued a blanket ban on the mining and transportation of coal using traditional rat-hole methods. This was due to a lack of safety for the miners and concerns for the environment.
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Transportation of coal already mined before 2014 and the illegal coal dumps seized by the State was, however, allowed from 2017 with strict conditions and monitoring.
The next hearing of the case has been fixed on February 28.