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Environmental Concerns: Pollution Complaints Ignored by Authorities
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Shillong: The demolition of multiple illegal coke factories in the village of Shallang, West Khasi Hills (WKH), has commenced following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Meghalaya High Court. This action comes shortly after the West Khasi Hills Police arrested four illegal coke plant owners on June 26. The factory destroyed on Sunday belonged to Balwan Bhama, the alleged mastermind of the illegal coal and coke business.
According to undisclosed sources, approximately 46 more illegal factories will be dismantled in the upcoming days, with a target completion date set for July 20.
"There are a total of 57 units in Shallang, out of which 47 are operating without legal permission. These factories have been carrying out their activities without authorization from the relevant authorities and registered owners," said a government source, preferring anonymity. The decision to demolish these illegal factories was made during a high-level meeting in Shillong, led by the Chief Minister and attended by the Chief Secretary, DGP, and other senior officials of the government.
Responding to the situation, CM Conrad Sangma requested that the plants be dismantled by July 10. However, considering the limited time available, the officials decided to extend the deadline to July 20. "We will resume operations next week and aim to complete the demolition of as many coke factories as possible by the end of that week. By July 20, we should be able to accomplish this task," sources revealed.
Out of the 47 illegal coke factories, several were owned by residents from Assam and other parts of India. Additionally, a number of these illegal operations were linked to influential businessmen from the Garo Hills region, who took advantage of the lax administrative checks in WKH.
These factories reportedly transported more than 200 trucks of illegally produced coke per day to various parts of Assam, utilizing routes in both Khasi Hills and Garo Hills.
"It is truly astonishing that these illegal operations were allowed to continue unhindered for so long. Several administrations came and went in the district, yet no action was taken, which is quite surprising, to say the least. Were these people in power unaware of these illegalities?" questioned a highly placed government source.
The proliferation of these coke plants began as early as 2017 when numerous factories were established to bypass the ban on rat hole mining of coal in the state. As processed coal or coke was not prohibited, business owners capitalized on the situation and began transporting these products to other parts of the country. The coal used in these factories was allegedly sourced locally, indicating that rat hole mining was still prevalent.
Complaints regarding the growth of these coke plants in the Shallang area emerged once these operations were underway. Local residents from nearby areas complained about pollution caused by these factories. Strangely, both the government and local administration overlooked these complaints.
"You need permission to operate even a cigarette shop anywhere in the state, but these coke plants were allowed to operate without any such permissions. Without political patronage, this level of operation would not be possible. The Court should also question how these factories were able to operate on such a large scale," expressed a concerned resident of WKH.
The High Court had issued warnings regarding these issues years ago, seeking answers from the state government and administration, but these warnings were either ignored or given little attention. However, with the Court now taking a serious stance against the entire illegal setup, including the illegal mining of coal through rat hole mining, action is being taken against the factories and those responsible for their establishment.
As per police sources, five of the factory owners are already in custody, and authorities are currently conducting searches to locate and apprehend the remaining owners. However, most of them are reportedly evading capture by remaining on the run.