Niharika Choudhury
Shillong, June 13: Meghalaya’s mining lease area requirements need to be rationalised to suit the state’s unique landholding patterns and terrain, but environmental safeguards must remain non-negotiable, Technical Advisor (Environment and Natural Resources) to the Meghalaya government Naba Bhattacharjee has said.
Making a case for reviewing existing norms governing scientific coal mining, Bhattacharjee said smaller landholdings should not be excluded from the legal mining framework, provided strict conditions relating to environmental protection, mine safety and treatment of acid mine drainage are enforced.
“The area needs to be brought down rationally so that there is a level playing field. However, all or most of the conditions relating to safety, treatment of acid mine water and environmental protection must be strictly followed, even for smaller landholdings,” he said.
Bhattacharjee, who has served two terms as chairman of the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), said scientific mining remains the only viable path following the National Green Tribunal’s ban on rat-hole mining, a decision later upheld by the Supreme Court.
He said the first scientific mining projects approved in Meghalaya were subjected to rigorous scrutiny and multiple safeguards before being granted clearance.
“We imposed nearly 70 conditions covering environmental protection, miners’ safety and other safeguards to ensure that local communities are not adversely affected,” he said.
Highlighting the challenges posed by Meghalaya’s geography, Bhattacharjee said conventional open-cast mining may not be feasible in several coal-bearing districts, particularly East Jaintia Hills.
“I’ll be very candid that in most districts, particularly in East Jaintia Hills, open-cast mining may not be possible,” he said.
According to him, large-scale open-cast operations would generate enormous quantities of overburden — the rock and soil removed to access coal seams — creating significant environmental risks and potentially damaging fragile ecosystems and biodiversity.
Bhattacharjee said discussions are underway with officials in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), while the Meghalaya government is also pursuing the matter with the Union Ministries of Coal and Mines.
The objective, he said, is to seek amendments that would lower the statutory area requirements for mining and mine restoration, making it easier for local stakeholders to transition to legal and regulated mining practices.
Such changes, he added, would benefit local landowners while ensuring that environmental standards are not diluted.
“Being from an environmental background, it is imperative that the environment must be the priority at all cost,” Bhattacharjee said.
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