Shillong, Oct 27: Vehicles using the Shillong-Guwahati road faced serious disruption on Tuesday morning after a coal-laden truck overturned on the stretch at Jaiaw Langsning around midnight.
By the time local media could reach the spot, the truck had already been removed from the site. Residents said the traffic jam started around 4am and continued till about 10am, affecting the stretch from Mawlai to Umshyrpi bridge and other parts of Shillong.
Schoolchildren, teachers and office-goers were delayed due to the jam.
In a video recorded by the public, three cranes and two JCBs were seen being used to lift the overturned truck laden with coal. The truck bears registration number AS 26AC 1244.
Until the filing of this report, the identity of the driver could not be ascertained as he had fled the scene. There was also no information on whether the truck had a valid challan for transporting coal.
Meanwhile, activist Agnes Kharshiing today filed an FIR at Lumdiengjri Police Station wherein she urged the authorities to “immediately seize this vehicle, inspect the cargo” and thoroughly investigate whether there was a violation of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 1957, forgery and challen discrepancies, whether there was overloading and consequent damage to the road and public endangerment.
“Further, I am formally demanding an investigation into the systemic failure and potential complicity of enforcement authorities. It is inexplicable how this massively overloaded truck successfully bypassed multiple police stations, transport enforcement personnel, National Highways Authority of India checkpoints and Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR) staff,” Kharshiing said. “The Meghalaya High Court has previously ruled that authorities, including Superintendents of Police, will be held in contempt and accountable if illegally mined coal is found to have passed through their jurisdiction. The failure to check this vehicle constitutes a severe dereliction of duty.”
