HANM against setting up limestone mine

SHILLONG, OCT 12: The Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) East Jaintia hills on Wednesday demanded that the state government put on hold the proposed public hearing for setting up of a limestone mine by a cement company, at Thangskai village on October 25.

The ngo was of the opinion that the state is yet to have a mining policy in place to regulate mining of mineral resources in the state.

“We strongly oppose and demanded the proposed public hearing for extraction of limestone from Thangskai village by the Ms/Dalmia Cement factory be immediately revoked,” HANM-EJH president Ency Shadap said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said the ngo is shocked at the readiness of the government to grant permission for holding the public hearing for the limestone mining despite the fact that the state is without a policy.

“It only reflects the state government bias especially towards the coal miners’ community as it directed the police to take legal action against any illegal extraction or transportation of coal from the state,” Shadap said.

He said the action of the state government is not acceptable to the people of the region.

Meanwhile, HANM also demanded that the state government to issue a public clarification on its decision to grant permission to the cement company to extract limestone from the district.

“The government should come up with a clear clarification as to whether cement factories can extract limestone without a state mining policy,” HANM Jaintia Hills unit president Shaniahlang Suchen said.

He claimed as per information most of the cement factories in East Jaintia Hills are yet to get clearance certificate from the Ministry of Forest & Environment.

“The Joint Inspection Team had also in its report confirmed that these cement factories are also operating from forest area, which only pose a big question as to why the state government should remain silent without taking any action against them for their violation against the Forest Conservation Act,” he added.

Refuting the allegation that coal mining is the main reason for environmental degradation in the district, Suchen however alleged that the cement factories are also equally responsible for forest destruction and rivers pollution killing aquatic lives.-By Our Reporter