Over 1.92 lakh metric tons of illegally mined coal was found in four districts of Meghalaya by an aerial survey conducted by the Garuda UAV Soft Solutions.
Justice (retd) BP Katakey Committee, appointed by the Meghalaya high court to probe illegal coal mining in the state, today held a meeting with state officials and concerned departments.
“Garuda has submitted the report of the aerial survey, and as per the findings, in the four districts—East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, and South Garo Hills— more than 1.92 lakh metric tons of coal remain unaccounted for,” Katakey told reporters.
The aerial survey was to identify coal beyond the inventoried stock. These surveys aimed to determine whether illegal mining and transportation persist, despite the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban upheld by the Supreme Court.
“I have instructed them to provide certain clarifications, which I expect to receive today or tomorrow. Based on their findings, apart from the unaccounted coal, a significant quantity of coal has been detected within a 1 km radius. Therefore, in today’s meeting, I urged the deputy commissioners, superintendents of police of these districts, and the departments concerned to closely monitor the movement of coal beyond this 1.92 lakh metric tons,” he stated.
Katakey will now submit his report before the High Court on April 28, the next date of hearing.
