Coal Mining in Meghalaya - a boon or bane?

Abstract

Thin seams of coal occur assiciated with the Lakadong sandstones of Eocene age in the Jaintia Hills of Megha-laya. These Tertiary coals are low-ash coking coals but due to their high sulfur content they do not find proper market in the iron and steel industries. However, they are being mined rampantly for use as a fuel for other small and medium-scale industries such as power, cement, tea, fertilizer and bricks etc. Due to unscientific mining methods the environment is seriously affected destroying the land, soil, forest, water and the natural heritages. The law of the land is also a major bottleneck for persuading large-scale integrated mechanized mining by public and private sectors. Government efforts are yet to deliver a clear cut mineral and mining policy or any significant results towards protecting the environment. This is a serious issue which needs attention of the policy makers, planners, administrators, mining engineers, geo-enVironmentalists, scientists, technocrats, entre-preneurs and academicians to discuss, deliberate and suggest some solution for the benefit of the people of Meghalaya as well as for the protection of the environment.