Shillong, Oct 6: There will be no return to rat-hole mining in Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Tuesday while assuring that the government is trying to address the small miners’ concern about minimum area for mining.
While the current requirement of mining lease area for scientific mining is 100 hectare, the government is working with the Centre to reduce it to 5-10 hectares to ensure participation of small miners.
The Chief Minister said he along with MLA Santa Mary Shylla had placed the proposal in favour of small miners to Union Minister for Coal and Mines in New Delhi a few months ago.
Mentioning that that the Government of India was “very positive” and formed a committee to examine the matter, he said, “The committee has met 3-4 times now and I had discussion with the committee.”
“The members will be coming very shortly to Meghalaya to further discuss with different stakeholders,” he said.
He stressed that mining is already allowed in the state and the ban was lifted in 2019.
“It is not a question of allowing mining or not allowing mining. Mining is allowed in Meghalaya, mines have been opened. The issue is the methodology with which you are going to mine,” he said.
“The ban was lifted in 2019 with the condition that you have to follow the MMDR Act which requires you to go for open cast mining. The concern is safety of miners and safety of environment,” he added.
The chief minister made it clear that old practices cannot be revived.
“If you are talking about going back to old ways of rat-hole mining, that will not happen because that is exactly why the ban was put. Government was very clear that safety of miners and environment was top priority for Government of India, Supreme Court as well as NGT,” he said.
On easing norms for small miners, he said, “The acreage may come down to 5 or 10 hectares but the techniques and methodology will still have to follow scientific process.”
“We have proposed certain scientific mechanisms to suit our seams and overall conditions in our mines and allow small time miners to mine but at the same time this technology will also protect the environment and miners,” he said.
He added that the government is working to balance scientific safeguards with local realities.
“Government of India has made it very clear that whatever mining you do, whatever size you have, the process has to be scientific. That is what we are working on now – how to ensure scientific process which protects miners and environment is maintained while keeping local conditions in front of us,” Sangma said.
