Meghalaya Government Orders New Probe into Missing 4,000 MT of Coal, Informs High Court

The Meghalaya government has informed the High Court that it has initiated a fresh inspection of coal dump sites in two villages in the South West Khasi Hills district following the unaccounted disappearance of nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal.

The discrepancy, initially detected through an aerial survey, could not be verified during on-ground inspections, prompting the state to order a new investigation.

In an affidavit submitted to the Meghalaya High Court on Monday, the government stated that a final report on the matter is expected within a month. The directive follows a probe ordered by the district deputy commissioner on July 24, in response to a 2022 Public Interest Litigation (PIL). A three-member committee of senior district officials was formed to investigate the issue.

The committee’s report described the disappearance of approximately 4,000 metric tonnes of coal as “highly improbable” without detection, attributing the issue to challenging terrain and environmental factors. The report noted that the errors stemmed from unintentional information gaps rather than oversight. According to the Meghalaya Basin Development Agency (MBDA), the aerial survey recorded 2,121.62 metric tonnes of coal in Diengngan village and 1,839.03 metric tonnes in Rajaju village.

However, ground verification revealed only 2.50 metric tonnes and 8 metric tonnes, respectively.
The committee identified the lack of geotagged coordinates as a key factor, which likely led inspection teams to miss the actual coal dump sites.

To address this, the panel recommended a re-inspection of both villages, with the MBDA tasked with providing accurate GPS coordinates to ensure precise verification. The committee also raised concerns about the ongoing risk of cross-border smuggling, urging stronger surveillance, enhanced enforcement, and better coordination among agencies.
During an August 11 review meeting, the deputy commissioner clarified that earlier data was incomplete.

With updated information now available, a new round of verification has been ordered. The High Court was assured that the MBDA and the Department of Mining and Geology will fully cooperate with the district administration, providing all necessary data to support the investigation.