Photo Courtesy: nenow
Shillong: A fresh challenge hit the National Green Tribunal regarding a limestone mining project in the East Jaintia Hills. Three petitioners, Bocheru Mi Pohsnem, Jersom Shylla, and Wansalan Dame Patwet, filed the application against Shree Cement Limited. They want the July 31, 2026, environmental public hearing tossed out. The project covers 217.394 hectares at Lum Syrmian/Daistong.
Violence marred the event. The applicants submitted five videos on a pen drive as proof of criminal sabotage and illegal blockades. They claim supporters of the company dug up a public works department road to keep protesters away. Rocks and sharp objects flew during the chaos. One video from Shillong Today captures an attack on a JSU ambulance while it worked on a rescue mission. Another, from NE News TV, details a harrowing ordeal for a woman from Nongkhllieh. The application alleges, "a pregnant woman was allegedly forced to deliver her baby inside a car after a road at Daistong was damaged, disrupting movement in the area."
Other evidence points to government failures. A JSU-attributed video claims officials blocked specific people from entering the venue. Meanwhile, GarohillsNews24 footage questions the state's hollow promises on law and order. The petitioners are now asking the Kolkata bench to waive strict certificate requirements under Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. They want the court to admit the electronic records as evidence to halt the mine.
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