Shillong: Former environmental regulator Naba Bhattacharjee has warned that relaxing safety standards in Meghalaya could trigger another court-ordered shutdown of the state coal industry. While acknowledging that the current 100-hectare requirement for scientific mining creates a bottleneck for small miners, Bhattacharjee insists that environmental safeguards must remain non-negotiable to satisfy the National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court.
Bhattacharjee, the former chairman of the State Expert Appraisal Committee, noted that recent approvals for scientific mining projects included nearly 70 mandatory conditions. These requirements cover safety, water treatment, and community impact, and he emphasized that they must be enforced regardless of lease size. He also cautioned against open-cast mining in East Jaintia Hills, citing the region’s fragile geology and the high risk of irreversible biodiversity loss.
“If environmental safeguards are compromised, there is a risk of another ban,” Bhattacharjee cautioned. His remarks come as coal owners and local miners advocate for a lower land threshold to better suit traditional extraction methods. Local stakeholders argue that current regulations are impractical, while some observers worry that changing these rules could lead to a resurgence of unregulated mining.
Political pressure is mounting as MLAs Kyrmen Shylla and Santa Mary Shylla push the government to address the mining halt. Marshall SB Biam, president of the Jaintia Coal Owners, Miners, Suppliers and Workers Association, is currently on an indefinite hunger strike to demand the revival of the industry. The protest underscores the severe financial strain on the local economy caused by the ongoing restrictions.
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