Shillong, March 25, 2025 – A Meghalaya High Court-appointed committee has exposed a massive stash of over 1.92 lakh metric tons (MT) of illegally mined coal across four districts, detected through an aerial survey by drone company Garuda. The findings, revealed on Tuesday by Justice (retd) BP Katakey, head of the panel, spotlight persistent violations of the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on rat-hole mining, upheld by the Supreme Court.
The survey, covering East Jaintia Hills, South West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, and South Garo Hills, found the coal outside inventoried stocks, hinting at fresh mining despite legal curbs under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. Katakey, briefing the media in Shillong, sought clarifications from Garuda and urged district officials to tighten vigilance beyond this haul.
Meghalaya’s coal woes aren’t new—over 22,000 mine openings dot East Jaintia Hills alone (The Hindu, 2024), many reactivatable. The NGT’s 2014 ban aimed to curb unscientific mining, yet enforcement falters in the state’s rugged terrain. The real stakes? Beyond environmental ruin, illegal coal fuels a shadow economy, while locals tied to mining face livelihood risks without alternatives. As Katakey prepares his report for the High Court, the pressure’s on to seal this breach—or watch it widen.
