They felt that the encroachments were being encouraged to carry out illegal coal mining inside the reserve forest. Their sources informed them that there were a few more locations in the Tinkopani Reserve Forest, where similar methods were being used for extracting coal.Īt the end of the first day’s field visit, the officials concluded that the encroachments inside the Namphai Reserve Forest were of “recent origin,” which was evident from “fresh settlements” and felled trees on the ground. They found that the mining site had been opened during the last quarter of 2018. The officials concluded that mining was being carried out with the use of heavy machinery, which was also spotted at the site. The team’s journey deeper into the region revealed an illegal opencast mine inside the forest showing destruction of the ecosystem of a “higher magnitude” as a result of the “ruthless means” of extracting coal. The forest area, soil formation and terrain appeared very fragile and sensitive.” “Along the way, the team also observed presence of elephant dung at many locations and also presence of food species of elephants indicating the forest area in question is a very rich elephant habitat apart from a biodiversity hotspot comprising a rare rainforest system. The officials also found that the area was being cleared for mining.įurther ahead was a wide non-concrete road leading to the rainforest beside a river which showed signs of movement of heavy vehicles, indicating that trucks were frequenting the region. ‘Unabated and Unchecked Rampant Illegal Coal Mining’ Diplomat Brief Weekly Newsletter N Just $5 a month.Ī query sent by this correspondent to Assam’s Minister of Environment and Forest Parimal Suklabaidya on whether the final inquiry had been ordered did not elicit any response.
WHERE TO FIND COAL IN ECO GLOBAL SURVIVAL FULL
Choudhury, however, pointed out while speaking to the media that Section 8(j) clearly states that “the information, which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature, shall not be denied to any person.”Įnjoying this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. However, the activist’s application was rejected.Ĭiting Sec 8(h) of the RTI Act, the department claimed that disclosure of the preliminary report might impede the process of further inquiry. Under the Right to Information Act, activist Rohit Choudhury sought access to the report, which was submitted by officers of Assam’s department of environment and forest after a field visit to the Digboi Forest Division on July 3 and 4, 2019. The preliminary inquiry report, mentioned above and which was filed last year, suggested that these claims could be correct. The quantum of illicit extraction is estimated to be several times more than that of legal mining thanks to a syndicate involving politicians, bureaucrats, and traders, according to environmentalists. The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) gave permission to the state-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) in April, when the nationwide lockdown to “flatten” the COVID-19 curve was at its peak, to undertake coal mining activities at Dehing-Patkai Elephant Reserve, the only rainforest in Assam.Ĭoal mining is reportedly carried out both legally and illegally in the region, which falls under the Digboi Forest Division in eastern Assam bordering the state of Arunachal Pradesh. This correspondent got hold of the unclassified report, which suggests that authorities turned a blind eye to seemingly legitimate green concerns in allowing India’s national coal miner to extract coal from the region. Officials investigated the impact of coal mining in an elephant reserve in the northeast Indian state of Assam, but have refused to disclose its preliminary findings.
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