While three coal mines in the state have received full operational clearance and have officially commenced scientific coal mining, another 10 or 11 will soon get the go-ahead to begin extraction, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed today.
“Three mines have started extracting coal through scientific methods. The Ministry of Coal has inspected the operations and expressed satisfaction with the progress,” Sangma told reporters.
The prevalent practice of rat-hole coal mining was halted by the National Green Tribunal in 2014 over pollution concerns and the state government has since pushed for scientific coal mining to enable the industry to restart operations.
While mining has officially begun in the approved sites, the CM noted that logistical challenges remain. “There are still some issues to be resolved regarding the transportation of the extracted coal but the mining operations have successfully started,” he explained.
Sangma further informed that at least another 10 more mines are nearing the final stage of receiving clearance to commence operations. “I don’t have the exact figures, but as per the latest updates, around 10 to 11 mines, mostly in East Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hill, are expected to get approval in the next one to two months,” he said.
