Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday announced that eleven more miners in the state are close to receiving permission to begin scientific coal mining, signaling a significant step forward in the government’s push to regularize and modernize the coal industry.
Currently, three miners have already commenced operations using methods approved by the central authorities, aligning with environmental and safety norms laid out by the Ministry of Coal. Sangma confirmed that these miners have begun extraction and are now navigating challenges related to the safe transportation of coal.
“Mining of coal by three miners in the state has started in a scientific manner after the Coal Ministry was satisfied with the work of extracting coal,” Sangma stated, emphasizing that these operations mark the beginning of a new chapter for coal mining in Meghalaya.
He further revealed that approximately 10 to 11 additional miners are on the verge of receiving final clearance to commence mining activities under the scientific framework. “As far as the latest information, about 11 more miners are just on the verge of getting the mining opening permissions. I don’t know the exact status but in a matter of one or two months we will be able to see 10 to 11 miners getting permission to start scientific mining,” he said.
The Chief Minister noted that these miners are primarily from East Jaintia Hills and West Khasi Hills, two of the state’s coal-rich regions. The move is seen as a major shift from the previously unregulated coal mining practices that had drawn environmental and legal scrutiny. With scientific mining gaining traction, the state aims to balance economic interests with environmental responsibility and worker safety.
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