The court directed the state government to take urgent action and hold persons or officials “under whose watch it was allowed to happen”, accountable. Further, it directed the government to trace the persons who lifted the coal illegally.The government filed a status report, citing the steps taken with regard to illegally mined coal in South Garo Hills district and also the disappearance of the coal from Rajaju and Diengngan depots. However, the court said that apart from indicating that FIRs had been lodged, no other information was given.The National Green Tribunal had banned rat-hole coal mining in 2014, but groups and organisations in Meghalaya allege that there is no let-up in the illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state.Earlier, Coal India Limited was involved in the process of auctioning and transporting inventoried coal following court orders relating to illegal mining and transportation.There have been instances when it was found that the amount of inventoried coal in some depots did not decrease even after its auction and transportation. This was allegedly because coal mined illegally and freshly was kept in the depots to make it appear like inventoried coal.Meghalaya has reported several coal mine tragedies in the past, which claimed dozens of lives. High wages continue to draw miners to the region.
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