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Villages must have say in coal mining: Study

A study of coal mining areas in Nagaland and its impact on environment, published recently by the Nagaland Pollution Control Board has observed that communities and villages must have a say in coal mining operations in the state.

The study noted one of the unique features in Nagaland as the land holding system. Land in each and every part of Nagaland has an owner, be it in the form of an individual, family, clan, group or tribe which has the authority to do anything with its resources.

“However in the absence of proper environmental guidelines and legislations such as the Nagaland Coal Policy, 2006 No-11.1 & 11.2 which states that environmental management plan should be provided for controlling the environmental damage and restoration of mine areas; this poses a great problem in dealing with the people involved in coal mining business,” it said.

“The land holding system in our state is peculiar and therefore, when a coal prospecting licence is sought for, an application may be supported with a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the concerned village council in the form of a resolution in public meeting,” it proposed.

Presently, the Chairman/Secretary gives a No Objection Certificate but since the environmental impact will affect the whole community/village as well, the villages must have a say, it added.

It further observed that “majority of the coal mines were seasonal, practiced unscientifically in most cases by the individual landowners or in collaboration with contractors and businessmen outside the state.”

The study on coal mining was carried out in four districts- Mokokchung, Mon, Longleng and Wokha, which comprises of 48 mining sites. This includes 12 mining sites in Mon district, 2 in Longleng, 5 in Wokha and 29 in Mokokchung district.

The objective of the study was to know the impacts on various components of environment due to coal mining and to analyze the water quality around the coal mining areas and also other water bodies like river, pond etc.

A preliminary field work was carried out in four districts from April –June 2014, where coal mining was reportedly active to locate, identify, and collect samples.