Khliehriat:
The District Magistrate of East Jaintia Hills, Shri Manish Kumar, IAS, has ordered the immediate dismantling and removal of coal lifting cranes and other machinery from the site of the recent explosion at Mynsngat–Thangsko.
The order follows a report submitted by the Superintendent of Police, East Jaintia Hills, seeking permission to remove lifting cranes found at the place of occurrence of the explosion that resulted in multiple deaths and injuries.
Authorities reported that three to four coal mines exist adjacent to one another in the area and that fresh coal extraction activities were being carried out using heavy machinery, including lifting cranes. The District Magistrate noted that such machinery not only creates public nuisance and poses safety hazards but may also be used for illegal coal extraction.
Referring to the 2014 ban imposed by the Hon’ble National Green Tribunal on illegal coal mining, the District Magistrate stated that it is necessary to prevent further unlawful extraction using heavy equipment.
Exercising powers under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the District Magistrate has permitted dismantling of unlawful obstructions such as lifting cranes, tents, and other machinery at the site.
The order specifies that:
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Dismantling must be carried out strictly under the supervision of the Investigating Officer.
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The machinery must be photographed before and after removal.
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Geo-tagging with proper GPS coordinates must be maintained.
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The entire process must be documented and submitted as an Action Taken Report (ATR) to the District Magistrate’s office.
The order has been directed to be executed immediately.
#EastJaintiaHills #IllegalMining #Thangsko #Mynsngat #CoalMining #BNSS2023 #Meghalaya #MiningBan
