TURA, March 20 � In a major boost to environmentalists fighting against coal mining in the Balpakram National Park area (BNP) of South Garo Hills the Supreme Court Empowered Committee has upheld the stand of NGOs who are opposing the coal barons and would soon pass an interim order to stop all mining activity in that area.
The NGOs of South Garo Hills, spearheaded by the Southern Zone of the GSU, filed a petition before the apex court seeking a halt to the mining in the Gongrot Aking area which borders the Balpakram National Park since the ecological balance of the region is under tremendous pressure of damage. The other NGOs who are signatory to the petition include Siju Youth Socio-Cultural Organization, Southern Youth and Cultural Organization, Siju Eco-Tourism and Conservation Society, Tura Government College Students� Union (TGCSU) and the Youth Development and Vigilance Committee.
The counsel for the NGOs, Sanjay Upadhyay, who belongs to the Enviro Legal Defence Firm, said that �....the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), after hearing the matter of the unauthorized mining activities without a lease and environmental clearance in Gongrot Aking area, assured the applicants that they would recommend to the Supreme Court to pass an interim order to prevent any such activity and would issue an Advisory to the Chief Secretary and the concerned departments to prevent any mining in this area till the pendency of the application. It also noted that the stand of the applicant stands vindicated as it was also confirmed by the Principal Chief Conservator of forests (PCCF) of the state.�
The NGOs have been fighting against illegal mining in the area for the last two years because the ongoing activity is ravaging the natural heritage of the region, affecting its elephant population and other wildlife thereby posing a serious threat to the social fabric of the district and the park.
Unfortunately, success was hard to achieve as the extraction of coal once again began towards the end of last year prompting the NGOs to move their petition to the highest judicial body in the country.
They filed an Interlocutory Applications (IA) in the apex court and the hearing by the Central Empowered Committee took place on the 16th of this month in which the counsel for the Meghalaya Government admitted that no mining leases have been given in Gongrot Aking but unauthorized clearing of forests did take place in the mentioned site.