Assam’s mining plans puts Meghalaya's caves at risk

Shillong : With limestone mining being proposed to be carried out in Assam's Dima Hasao, there has been grave concern that  it will severely affect the caves and community reserve forests of Meghalaya.

Meghalaya Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ranjit Singh Gill said that he had raised the adverse effects of the proposed mining in Assam extending to the caves of Meghalaya in the first meeting of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) held on June 19.

He also claimed that he placed the letter of the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya with the CEC highlighting the risk of such mining activities on the community reserve forests of Meghalaya.

Meanwhile, he also informed that an officer was also instructed to attend the second meeting of the CEC on August 14.

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“We are still in the process of verifying why the officer who was assigned did not attend the second meeting of the CEC as he was duly instructed to attend the meeting,” Gill said.

The PCCF said that the forest department of the state will make every effort to bring the matter to notice of the CEC.

It may be mentioned that the Assam government had advertised that it intends to put up for bidding seven limestone and one iron ore block in the state. All the seven limestone blocks fall under Dima Hasao near Meghalaya.

Limestone mining is carried out using blasting technology which has serious adverse effects on the environment.

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Besides causing air pollution, it can change the flow of groundwater, which can also change the flow of surface water. This can increase the time between floods and can pollute nearby streams and wetlands.

Moreover, blasting, which creates high noise and can cause damage to hearing, can also cause alteration of soil profiles thereby increasing the problem of erosion.