Our Correspondent
Mokokchung | January 19
Random and destructive coal mining practices by illegal miners are responsible for negative environmental and public health impacts, observed the Parliamentary Secretary for Geology & Mining, Dr. Imtiwapang Aier today. “The maximum damage is done by illegal miners,” he reiterated. The Parliamentary Secretary, a geologist himself, is on a three-day itinerary visit to coal mines in Mokokchung and Mon districts that began today.
Accompanied by officers of the department, Aier today visited coal mines of Lakhuni, Mangkolemba and Chungtiayimsen areas under Mokokchung district.
While interacting with media persons during his stopover at Mangkolemba, Aier informed that the purpose of his visit to the coal mines was to check illegal mining, assess the environmental degradation caused by coal mining and to streamline the system so as to enhance revenue for the state government.
He also informed that the department will be launching an awareness campaign on environment issues and that he would visit the mines again later this year in the month of May.
As per the provisions of the Nagaland Coal Policy & Rules (First Amendment) 2014, the village councils are expected to extend “full cooperation to the department,” he noted but regretted that that they were are not obliging.
He stated that, as per the law, “The village councils are required to ensure that the miners carry out back-filling work of the mined out areas and that all mined out pits are reclaimed and re-vegetated by the miners or licensee before abandoning the mines.”
The department officials accompanying the Parliamentary Secretary also informed that there are more than forty “operators” or miners active in the Mangkolemba coal mine block alone out of which “only three are legal licensees.”
It was also highlighted that village councils, as per the law, are only to issue recommendations but the reality is that the village councils are issuing permits and allowing “illegal miners” to extract the mineral.
The department officials further disclosed that they will after the tour write to the village councils to “identify the illegal miners for onward necessary action.”
A misty view of the jaded open cast coal mines at Khar village under Mangkolemba, Mokokchung.[/caption] Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Secretary maintained that unless the village councils extend full cooperation to the department, “we cannot control illegal mining.”
As per Rule 26(F) of the Nagaland Coal Policy & Rules, the village councils are entrusted to “strictly prohibit illegal coal mining within the village jurisdiction and extend full cooperation to the Geology and Mining department for prevention of illegal mines” and failure on the part of the village councils to comply would invite “suspension of all government developmental activities including withholding of VDB fund.”
In an interesting revelation that can be rightly said to lay bare the fact that there lacks proper coordination between the allied departments, the visiting Geology & Mining officials accompanying the parliamentary secretary claimed that their department’s duty is to oversee the extraction of coal and generate revenue for the government out of it while arguing that fingers should not be pointed at the department for the reported issues of environmental degradation and pollution hazards.
“The department issues license only after the applicant produces necessary documents issued by the Pollution Control Board and the Forest Department,” the Geology & Mining department officials claimed.
Apart from the ‘clearance certificates’ issued by the said other two departments, license applicants are also required to deposit a security fee of Rs.30 thousand per hectare as “green cess fee” to the Forest Department which is deposited against a joint bank account of the DFO and the Village Council, the officials informed, the sum of which is to be utilized for the reclamation of mined out land before abandoning it.
“I’ve never seen anybody utilizing that money for the said purpose,” declared O. Koratemjen Jamir, OSD to the Govt. of Nagaland (Geology & Mining).
The Geology & Mining department generated revenue of Rs.1.10 crores realized as royalty from coal extraction in Mokokchung district during the fiscal 2014-15. It was learnt that the department levies a royalty of Rs.290 per tonne of coal extracted out of which “10% Naga Commission” is repaid to the landowners through the village councils.
The Parliamentary Secretary was today accompanied by the OSD to the Govt. of Nagaland (Geology & Mining), Mining Engineer and district in-charge of Mokokchung, T.Semy and other department officials.The parliamentary secretary is to visit coal mines at Lower Tiru, Singphan and Upper Tiru tomorrow and Naginimora and Sheta the day after, both under Mon district.
