Shillong, Oct 13: The state government is pushing for a stark reduction in the minimum mine size, from the current 100 hectares to 5-10 hectares in order to bring small-scale miners into the legal framework.
A committee constituted by the Union Coal Ministry visited Meghalaya last week to assess the feasibility of so-called scientific mining on such a small area.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said today that the proposal aims to make legal mining accessible to smaller operators while ensuring the safety of workers and protecting the environment.
He said the committee, headed by an Additional Secretary in the Coal Ministry, had held three to four meetings with the state government before visiting mining locations and interacting with miners to examine the proposed methods.
“The concern mainly is the safety of the miners and the safety of the environment. And hence the scientific process is what they would like to see,” Sangma said.
He said the state had submitted detailed proposals on possible mining techniques, including the pillar-and-post method, in which pillars are left in place to support the mine roof and prevent collapses.
The proposed approach would allow tunnels to be created in smaller mining areas, with suitable support structures to improve stability. Sangma said similar technologies were being used in different parts of the world.
Meanwhile, Sangma said that he has still not examined the latest interim report by the Justice (retd) BP Katakey committee on illegal mining in the state.
Katakey said that there is a shortfall of 13 lakh tonnes of coal between what was declared and what is physically present, that abandoned rat-hole mines have not been closed or fenced and that funds meant to restore mining-affected lands had not been utilised satisfactorily.
Asked about this, Sangma said he would need to examine the report before responding to the specific figures. The CM holds the mining portfolio and the latest report was made public six days ago.
He said the process of utilising funds through the Meghalaya Environment Protection and Restoration Fund (MEPRF) was underway, although procedures laid down by the Centre and the courts had complicated implementation.
The government was pursuing pilot projects for mine closure and expected to receive the necessary clearances soon, he said, adding that while closure work was being pursued, he could not confirm the reported coal inventory figure without further information.
