New Delhi, Feb. 10 -- Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report titled "18 Killed in blast at illegal coal mine in Meghalaya" published in an English daily on February 6, The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench here, has raised grave concerns over the continued violation of environmental laws, despite a long-standing ban on rat-hole coal mining imposed by the NGT and upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Tribunal on Tuesday observed that the reported incident caused by a dynamite explosion at an illegally operated rat-hole coal mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, prima facie indicates violations of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Indian Fore...