Date | April 26, 2017:

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Union Ministry of Coal and Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ministry, to provide responses on mining guidelines submitted by the Meghalaya government last year. Legal Counsel for Meghalaya, Ranjan Mukherjee said the Green Court had sought the views of the two ministries yesterday while hearing on the matter. He said the NGT the NGT had fixed the matter for hearing tomorrow in New Delhi. The Meghalaya government had asked the Centre to invoke paragraph 12A(b) of the Sixth Schedule to exempt Meghalaya from central laws related to mining activities. The NGT had banned coal mining in Meghalaya since April 17, 2014, following a petition filed by the All Dimasa Students' Union and the Dima Hasao District Committee from Assam. The petitioners brought to the tribunal's notice that rat-hole mining is going on in Meghalaya in a most illegal and unscientific manner. However, the Supreme Court gave some relief to coal mine owners and dealers when it allowed transportation of extracted coal that has been assessed in Meghalaya from October 1, 2016, to May 31 this year. The eight-month period for transporting extracted coal, as allowed by the apex court, will end next month. Meanwhile, the district administration has promulgated an order under Section 144 CrPC, prohibiting fresh coal mining and illegal transportation of coal in the coal-rich district of East Jaintia Hills. In its order, the district magistrate directed that all coal-laden trucks should possess transportation chalan, royalty chalan and other related documents. "No coal-laden trucks are to carry coal beyond the permissible limit and no rampant dumping of coal by the roadside along National Highway 44 and PWD roads," the order said. Moreover, the order also prohibited assembly of persons or groups of people and carrying of arms and lethal weapons that may cause injury. "The order is necessitated in view that mining of coal may be carried out in the district, rampant dumping of coal along the roadside of NH-44 and PWD roads is continuing, and coal-laden trucks from East Jaintia Hills are transporting coal without properchalan/documents and carry coal beyond the permissible limit," the order stated. The order warned that anyone, including coal mine owners, labourers, truck owners, drivers and others, if detected or found violating the above stipulated conditions, would be dealt with sternly according to provisions of the law.

(Source: http://news.webindia123.com/)