GUWAHATI: Even as the online campaigns against the illegal coal mining by Coal India Limited (CIL) in Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary continue to rage across social media platforms and different stakeholders like politicians, environmentalists and others are split in their opinions on the issue, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by advocate Mrinmoy Khataniar and mountaineer Amarjyoti Deka in the Gauhati High Court (GHC).
The PIL number 29/2020 was filed challenging the approval granted by the National Board of Wild Life (NBWL) for Open Cast Project (OCP) in Tikok area and in the Saleki Proposed Reserve Forest, in view of the conflicting stands of various departments involved.
The PIL states that on inspection of the area by the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shillong, it was found that, “During the site inspection it was found that North Eastern Coal Fields (NECF) was carrying out illegal mining of coal in the project area. It was also found that apart from the 57.2 hectares that was broken up and mined since 2003, the NECF had further illegally broken up another 9 hectares of forest land and mining was continuing therein. It was also found that another area of 7 hectares was cleared up for further mining. Thus, what had emerged from the inspection was that apart from the 57.2 hectares already broken up and used, another 16 hectares of forest land has been utilised by the NECF and as on date the unbroken area stands at approximately 25 Ha.”
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“The petitioners humbly beg to state that the Standing Committee proceeded on a factually incorrect premise that only 57.20 ha of forest land has been broken up whereas in reality an additional 16 Ha out of the original 98.59 Ha has been broken by the user agency without seeking prior approval and mining operations therein are being carried out in a rampant manner. Such a glaring factual error has led to the award of ex-post facto approval in favour of Coal India Limited,” the PIL read.
Citing that the illegal mining carried out by CIL in Saleki PRF is violative of the right to life of the citizens of the state guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, the instant petition is being filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India espousing the cause of the people of the state of Assam so as to safeguard the flora and fauna, particularly the wildlife of the Dehing Patkai Forest Reserve and moreover, to protect the ecological balance of the entire state.
The PIL was listed in the Gauhati High Court on June 4 before the division bench of Chief Justice Ajay Lamba and Justice Soumitra Saikia.
