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SHILLONG, JULY 29: The Meghalaya High Court has strongly condemned the state government after the sudden vanishing of more than 4,000 tonnes of coal, triggering widespread alarm and calls for accountability. In a reaction, Excise Minister Kyrmen Shylla on Monday ventured that the state’s heavy rainfall could have been responsible for the loss, though he conceded that there was no conclusive proof to indicate that.
Meghalaya gets the maximum rainfall. You never know… due to rain, the coal could have been washed away. There is every possibility,” Shylla said in an interview. But he was swift to make it clear that his remarks were not in defense of the lost coal, emphasizing that the true reason—whether natural or illegal—is unknown. “I cannot put the blame solely on the rain. It may be or it may not be. I don’t really have any sort of details,” he said.
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The court, at a hearing held on July 25, asked why coal stocks were missing from Rajaju and Diengngan villages. It also directed the state government to identify and act against officials under whose jurisdiction the coal disappeared, especially regarding potential illegal lifting and movement of coal.
Minister Shylla emphasized the need for following legal standards in coal extraction and transportation, adding that enforcement agencies must act sternly against illegal movements. He accepted persistent reports of illegal extraction and transport of coal in the state but insisted that concrete evidence was required to make a judgment. “There are several departments involved in monitoring. We need evidence to act firmly,” he added.
Shylla also took a nuanced position, explaining that some people might turn to illegal mining due to economic necessity. “I think that our people, if it is for survival, might do it illegally. otherwise nobody wants to do something that can hurt the state,” he stated. He was optimistic that the public would obey legal processes, particularly in the wake of the latest government initiative encouraging scientific methods of coal mining. “We all welcome it and want to see the daylight with this. I believe that our people will not do anything that will give the court and law a chance to point fingers at us,” he said.
Coal mining in Meghalaya has been in the strict crosshairs since 2014, when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a ban owing to unregulated and risky methods, particularly the contentious ‘rat-hole’ mining technique common in East Jaintia Hills. The tribunal had invoked serious environmental degradation, water contamination, and regular accidents in the mines as reasons for the ban.
In another matter, Shylla also touched on increasing public grievances about dust and rubble generated due to continued road works along National Highway 6 in East Jaintia Hills. “I appreciate this government for the initiative. For the time being, it is tough, but once everything is done, we will benefit,” he assured.
