Shillong: The Meghalaya government has told the High Court that a fresh inspection has been ordered at coal dump sites in two villages of South West Khasi Hills district after nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal flagged in an aerial survey could not be traced during ground verification.
In an affidavit submitted on Monday, the state informed the court that a final report is expected within a month. The re-inspection follows a probe initiated by the district deputy commissioner in compliance with a July 24 High Court directive related to a 2022 PIL.
A three-member committee of senior district officials, formed to investigate the discrepancy, had earlier noted that it was “highly improbable” for such a massive quantity of coal to vanish without detection. The committee attributed the mismatch to challenging terrain and lack of geotagged coordinates, which may have caused ground teams to miss the actual dump sites.
The Meghalaya Basin Development Agency’s aerial survey had recorded 2,121.62 MT of coal in Diengngan village and 1,839.03 MT in Rajaju village. However, ground verification found only 2.5 MT and 8 MT, respectively.
The committee recommended re-inspection with precise GPS data provided by MBDA to avoid further lapses. It also warned of the risk of cross-border smuggling and stressed the need for stronger enforcement and inter-agency coordination.
During a review meeting on August 11, the deputy commissioner admitted that earlier figures were based on incomplete data. With revised information now available, the final verification will be carried out within a month. The court was informed that MBDA and the Department of Mining and Geology have been directed to cooperate fully.
Meanwhile, former excise minister Kyrmen Shylla sparked controversy after joking that the missing coal might have been “washed away by monsoon rains into Bangladesh.” His remarks drew widespread criticism from opposition parties, civil society groups, and citizens, who termed the comment “absurd” and “irresponsible.”
The coal controversy underscores Meghalaya’s long-standing challenges with illegal mining. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban in 2014 on rat-hole mining and transport of illegally extracted coal, citing safety and environmental hazards. Yet, multiple probes—including those by High Court-appointed panels—have confirmed that illegal mining continues in several parts of the state.
In November 2023, a court panel reported that rat-hole mining was still ongoing in violation of the NGT ban. The High Court continues to monitor the issue as part of broader efforts to enforce environmental laws and ensure transparency in Meghalaya’s coal sector.