Meghalaya government claims no coal missing after drone survey
Shillong: The Meghalaya government has asserted that no coal has gone missing, citing a recent drone survey that revealed a discrepancy between the initial assessment of coal reserves and the actual amount available.
Prior to the drone survey, the state government had estimated the total coal reserves at approximately 32 lakh metric tons (MT).
However, the drone survey revealed a significantly lower figure of 14.1 lakh MT.
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The government stated that there were inaccuracies in the initial assessment.
It has also pointed out that a significant amount of coal has been auctioned and seized in recent years, further reducing the available reserves.
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The state government's claims were supported by a single-member committee appointed by the high court of Meghalaya, which has acknowledged the accuracy of the drone survey report. The committee reported said that the was more than 90 per cent accurate.
The government has also claimed that the remaining coal reserves, approximately 4.4 lakh MT, will be auctioned by the end of 2023.
