CM Sonowal orders Probe into Coal Mining in Dehing Patkai

Assam government had decided to upgrade the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a National Park

Time8 Webdesk
July 18, 2020
2:27 pm

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday has ordered a probe into the illegal coal mining activities in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary.

Already, the State government had decided to upgrade the Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary into a National Park following a controversy when the government was found to have allowed preliminary approval to Coal India to mine in the forest area.

An official communiqué from the chief minister’s office (CMO) said, “The Gauhati High Court (Retd.) Judge Brajendra Prasad Kataki has been asked to conduct a probe into both legal and illegal coal mining activities in the Sanctuary happening since 2003.”

Retd. Justice Kataki is also engaged by National Green Tribunal to inquire into the gas well fire incident of OIL at Baghjan in Tinsukia district. Retd. Justice Kataki is presently serving as Chairman of Police Accountability
Commission.

In May, North Eastern Coalfields, a unit of CIL, had accepted that mining was going in the area adjoining the forest since 2003 and claimed that it had applied for renewal of its lease in 2003, but the Assam government did not act upon this for a long time.

Later in December 2019, the Centre gave stage I forest clearance to the public sector undertaking (PSU) for 57.20 hectares with 28 conditions, including fines and action against responsible officers violating the Forest Conservation Act.

Subsequently, the state forest department slapped a penalty of Rs 43.24 crore on CIL in May for carrying out illegal mining activity inside the forest.

The Gauhati High Court had too issued notices to the Centre, state, CIL and other stakeholders after filing a suo moto case against coal mining inside Dehing Patkai, the largest rainforest of Northeast.

There have been several protests across the state as well as the country in connection with the mining clearance and even though the state government has stated that they are committed to protecting the biodiversity in the state, there are continuous reports and claims of mining still are going on in the state.