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Assam Activist Warns of Meghalaya-Style Coal Mines
17 Feb
Summary
- Activist alerts Assam CM about illegal rat-hole mining.
- Reserved forests near Dehing-Patkai National Park threatened.
- Meghalaya mine blast highlights ongoing illegal mining risks.
An environmentalist has alerted Assam's Chief Minister to the dangerous presence of rat-hole coal mines near the Arunachal Pradesh border, reminiscent of operations in Meghalaya. These mining activities, along with poaching, are severely endangering the eco-sensitive coal belt and the Dehing-Patkai National Park, known as the 'Amazon of the East'.
The activist has formally requested the upgrade of five reserved forests—Tinkopani, Tipong, Tirap, Saleki, and Makumpani—to wildlife sanctuaries. This measure is proposed to protect the unique biodiversity of these areas from ongoing illegal coal mining, which threatens to decimate the region's natural resources.
The urgency is amplified by a recent fatal blast in an illegal rat-hole coal mine in Meghalaya on February 5, 2026, which killed 30 miners. Despite a 2014 ban by the National Green Tribunal, rat-hole mining continues on a large scale in several Indian states, posing significant environmental and safety risks.
