Meghalaya minister blames heavy rain for missing 4,000 MT of illegally mined coal

Shillong, July 29: A week after the Justice (Retd) B.P. Katakey Committee submitted its 31st interim report to the Meghalaya High Court, a cabinet minister has sparked controversy by suggesting that heavy monsoon rains “may have washed away over 4,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal” that went missing from two depots in South West Khasi Hills district.

Cabinet Minister Kyrmen Shylla, a United Democratic Party MLA from the coal-rich Khliehriat constituency, told the press in Shillong on Monday that the state’s intense rainfall could have contributed to the coal’s disappearance from storage sites in Rajaju and Diengngan villages.

“I’m not trying to justify anything, but Meghalaya receives one of the highest amounts of rainfall in the country. Anything can happen during such downpours. There are even allegations that floods in Assam were triggered by rains here, and rainwater from East Jaintia Hills flows to Bangladesh. So who knows—the coal might have been washed away,” Shylla said.

The Meghalaya High Court, however, has taken a stern view of the missing coal, which was reportedly under government custody in the Ranikor Block of South West Khasi Hills district.

During a hearing on Monday, the court directed the state government to identify officials responsible and take strict action.

The incident has once again spotlighted concerns over rampant illegal coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya, which has continued despite a National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on rat-hole mining since 2014.

When asked about allegations of ongoing illegal coal operations, Shylla said there was no concrete proof to support such claims. “There are multiple departments monitoring these activities. I believe that if our people engage in this, it is only for survival. Nobody intentionally wants to harm the state,” he said.

The Justice Katakey Committee, appointed to oversee coal mining and transport in the state, has been submitting periodic reports to the High Court. The latest, its 31st, underscores persistent gaps in enforcement and supervision.

The court has reiterated its directive that all coal transportation and mining must be in strict compliance with the law and warned that accountability will be enforced at all levels.

With inputs from PTI