Meghalaya Govt to form committee to address issue of sand mining and stone quarrying

Guwahati, Aug 30: The Meghalaya government has announced a decision to form a committee to address the issue of stone quarry and stone crusher units—between the employees and workers—following the implementation of the Meghalaya Minor Minerals Concession Rules (MMMCR), 2016.

The decision came in the midst of the ongoing Autumn session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.

A meeting was held between the state government and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Stone Crushers Owners’ Association, Quarry Owners’, and Workers’ Association; following which the decision to form the government committee was arrived at.

The committee of around 10-12 members from the JAC, apart from officials from the Meghalaya state government, will explore the possibilities of making rules flexible to benefit the small quarry owners.

Following various court rulings and decisions related to mining and environmental clearance in Meghalaya, the state government adopted restrictive policies on small-scale mining of sand, boulders, and minor minerals in the state.

Small-scale mining of sand, boulders, and minerals in Meghalaya is not exempted from the laws and rules that govern the grant of mining leases based on prior environmental clearance.

Following the JAC’s decision to halt stone sand mining at a meeting on August 19, the government called for talks between the various stakeholders.

A member of the JAC stated that the government had assured them that their problems would be addressed and resolved in a matter of months.

Additionally, the issue of stone quarrying and the various stakeholders involved was also brought up in the Assembly by South Shillong MLA Sanbor Shullai on Tuesday. Shullai had urged the state government to look into the matter of stone quarrying, requesting it to reconsider the recent closure notice imposed on traditional small-scale mining activities, including the extraction of sand, boulders, and other minor minerals.

During the assembly, Shullai highlighted the negative impact on the livelihood of the local people following such restrictions, as a large number of people, particularly from the rural areas, were involved in traditional mining operations.

He also recommended that the MMMCR 2016 be amended to provide a more streamlined process for granting permission for small-scale mining activities under a mining lease or quarry permit.