Centre assures probe into illegal coal mining as Assam loses 86.66 sq km forest cover

Guwahati, March 19: The Central government on Monday said that "a thorough investigation" will be conducted into illegal coal mining activities in the State.

This was stated in a press release issued by the office of the Deputy Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi. The Congress MP from the Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency on Monday raised the issue of the declining forest cover in Assam.

During Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Member of Parliament Gaurav Gogoi raised serious concerns over the declining forest cover in Assam and sought the government's response to the National Green Tribunal's (NGT's) directive on the matter.

The MP highlighted significant discrepancies between the Draft Notification (SO 1828(E), dated May 7, 2018) and the Final Notification (SO 3462(E), dated September 23, 2019) of the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. He pointed out that oil and gas exploration, which was explicitly prohibited in the Draft Notification, was removed from the Final Notification despite no public objections.

Gogoi further noted that Vedanta Ltd plans to establish oil and gas production operations under the guise of exploration, as indicated by its proposal for Early Production Units (EPUs) and Quick Production Units (QPUs). He questioned the sudden removal of restrictions and demanded a clarification from the government," the press release stated.

Gogoi also underscored that oil and gas extraction is classified as a highly polluting industry under the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPBC) Red Category List and is explicitly prohibited in ecologically fragile and protected areas.

"Given this classification, he questioned how the project received clearance from the Wildlife Board and reiterated that such activities should not be permitted with the ESZ of Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary," it added.

Referring to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, Gogoi highlighted that Assam's forest cover declined by 86.66 square kilometres between 2021 and 2023.

He further noted that the Assam Science and Technology Environmental Council confirmed a total loss of 83.92 square kilometres of forest and tree cover over the same period. Expressing concern over illegal coal mining, the MP pointed out that Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao witnessed the highest deforestation rates. "He questioned whether the State government is adhering to environmental guidelines and called for the formation of a Central investigation team to probe the role of district forest officers in the destruction of Assam's forests," the release said.

It added, "In response to the MP's concerns, the Minister acknowledged the loss of forest cover between 2021 and 2023 and assured that a thorough investigation will be conducted into illegal coal mining activities."