Report filed by the CPCB on measures to restore the environment corrupted due to rat hole mining in Meghalaya, 26/11/2019
Report filed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in O.A. No. 110 (THC)/2012 in the matter of All DIMASA Students Union Dima Hasao District Committee Vs State of Meghalaya & Others before the National Green Tribunal. The matter related to rat hole coal mining in the state of Meghalaya.
The report stated that the Action Plan prepared by the Independent Committee constituted in the matter was acceptable to the CPCB. The Committee, with a view to ensure that the amounts available for restoration of environment in areas affected by illegal rat hole coal mining in Meghalaya was utilized in a "holistic and integrated manner", adviced the CPCB to consider making available the entire amount of Rs. 100 crores for implementation of the Action Plan, prepared by the Committee.
Further, the constitution of the sub Committee to oversee use of Rs. 100 crores to be transferred for implementation of the said Action Plan was also acceptable to CPCB except with the request that a CPCB officer should be made a member and not the Chairman and the Chairman of the said sub Committee should be a senior officer of the state government (Chief Secretary or Secretary, Department of Forest & Environment).
Note: The report of November 26, 2019 was uploaded to the NGT site on July 23, 2020