Meghalaya illegal coal mine blast: NGT issues notice to Chief Secretary, others over miners’ death

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the Meghalaya Chief Secretary and others regarding the death of miners in an illegally-operated rat-hole coal mine in the State’s East Jaintia Hills district.

The green body was hearing a matter where it had taken suo-motu (on its own) cognisance of a newspaper report regarding an explosion in the unauthorised mine, purportedly caused by the use of dynamite, on February 5, 2026.

In an order dated February 6, a Bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, “As per the news item, this is one of the biggest mining-related tragedies since July 2021. The news item also highlights that two years earlier, NGT had banned the hazardous mining method.”

The Bench noted that the report had cited activists, who claimed that despite the tribunal’s blanket ban on the mining and transportation of coal in April 2014, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court, illegal mine owners, backed by politicians and other influential people, continued to operate.

“The matter indicates violations and non-compliance of NGT’s orders, including violations of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Indian Forest Act and Environment Protection Act,” the bench said, adding that it has also raised “substantial issues relating to compliance with the environmental norms”.

The tribunal impleaded as parties or respondents the State’s Chief Secretary, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Shillong regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the deputy commissioner of East Jaintia Hills.

“Issue notice to the above respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing (on May 19),” it said.