Assam: Umrangso rat-hole mine operated without environmental clearances!
Guwahati: The tragic incident at the Umrangso coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district has exposed a shocking reality: illegal mining operations were allegedly conducted without the necessary environmental clearances.
Sources said the rat-hole mine, allegedly operated by Kanika Hojai, wife of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council (DHAC) CEM Debolal Gorlosa, functioned under the apparent knowledge of Assam police, forest, and administrative officials, with alleged political patronage from Dispur and Haflong.
Violation of Environmental Norms
Coal mining above 150 hectares requires clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Mines between 150 hectares and 5 hectares need approval from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
Rat-hole mining below 5 hectares is strictly prohibited by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). However, there is no clarity on the exact area of the Assam Mineral Development Corporation (AMDC) mine or its Environmental Clearance (EC) status. A reliable source said the mine at Umrangso was operated without obtaining the mandatory clearances.
Potential Forest Land Violation
Allegations suggest the mining site falls within an Unclassified State Forest (USF), requiring a Forest Clearance from the MoEF&CC to divert forest land for mining activities. However, no such clearance appears to have been issued.
Reports further indicate that hundreds of illegal mines continue to operate across Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong Hills, with alleged complicity from politicians, mining, and forest officials.
SC Ruling Invalidates Clearance Practices
On January 2, 2024, the Supreme Court stayed provisions allowing ex-post facto environmental clearances by the MoEF&CC. Any clearance issued retroactively for the Umrongso mine by SEIAA now stands illegal.
AMDC's Mining Plans Under Scrutiny
A Ministry of Coal document dated April 12, 2024, revealed that the Assam Mineral Development Corporation (AMDC) only recently obtained approval for its mining plan in March 2024. Applications for mining leases, Terms of Reference (ToR), and baseline studies remain pending, with production scheduled to commence in 2025.
Despite these developments, it remains unclear how the mine was allegedly operational as early as November 17, 2023, without obtaining any requisite clearance.
Call for Accountability
Environmental activists and journalist Apurba Baallav Goswami demand urgent investigations to determine how such blatant violations were allowed. "The operation of these illegal mines not only endangers lives but also disregards environmental protections essential for sustainable development," he said.
No Action Against DHAC CEM's Wife, Top Officials
Police have so far arrested two individuals in connection with the incident. Mine leader Hanan Laskar, who fled the site immediately after the flooding, was apprehended on Thursday night in Umrangso. Earlier, the leaseholder of the mine, Punish Nunisa, was detained on Tuesday.
However, no action has been taken against DHAC CEM Debolala Garlosa's wife Kanika Hojai so far, despite clear evidence that she operated the mine illegally, putting the lives of the miners at risk. On Saturday, an FIR was filed against her at Umrangso police station.
Similarly, neither the Dima Hasao District Commissioner (DC) Simanta Kumar Das nor the Superintendent of Police (SP) Mayank Jha has faced any action, even though illegal mining continued to operate for a long time under their watch.