Monday Musing
[ Junroi Mamai ]
Kharsang circle in Changlang district is currently abuzz following the state government’s decision to approve the mining lease of the Namchik-Namphuk coal mines in Kharsang to Guwahati-based M/s Coal Pulz Pvt Ltd for a period of 30 years. The government’s decision has come despite strong protests from the locals, who fear irrevocable environmental degradation and mass displacement of the local populace.
Many organisations, local activists and environment experts have said that unregulated mining in Kharsang and its adjoining areas since over a decade has caused massive environmental damage to the area, polluting rivers and degrading forests and soil health. They view the decision to renew such large-scale extraction in the area as devastating, but at the same time there are a few who see this as an opportunity to ensure future prosperity.
Large-scale unemployment in the absence of adequate government and private job opportunities in the area compels some of the locals to prioritise short-term benefits over the imminent environmental degradation and all the other risks associated with it. With no industries and lack of source of income in the district, people are driven towards these short-term cash benefits and lucrative jobs that the private companies are now offering to them.
Presently, the company is inviting locals to submit their candidature for jobs of every grade and category in the company, with the aim to appease the local dissent. Hundreds are queuing outside the company’s makeshift office in Kharsang nowadays to apply for jobs and business opportunities.
Moreover, a number of people are also expecting a sudden rise in land value, which will also be acquired by the company from the locals. Others expect growth in their businesses as the coal town develops with proper roads and transport facilities in the future. For them, the renewal of coal extraction in Kharsang is a lucrative opportunity as the project, according to the state government, is expected to produce 2 lakh tonnes of coal per annum and generate around Rs 100 crore annually, contributing to the state exchequer. However, extraction of fossil fuel always has a caveat with it that it will solve all the unemployment and financial problems of the locals or of any state.
Coal mining and petroleum extraction in Kharsang circle has been going on for decades and private companies are its sole profiteers, while locals are still deprived of sustainable income related to the industry. Presently, assessment for compensation is going on for land acquisition, and the locals are compelled to rehabilitate themselves on the outskirts of the mining field. After the open cast mining starts, the quality of air, water, health, livestock, etc, will probably deteriorate. Has the government done risk assessment and is ready to address its ramifications?
Therefore, the memorandum signed between the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and Coal Pulz Pvt Ltd should also ensure that a balanced approach should be adopted while exploiting natural resources. It should not undermine the rights and shares of the indigenous people; after all, it is their ancestral land which they are parting with.
Also, the government should ensure that unregulated mining, especially done by mafias and third parties of the coal industry, which is very active in the area, must be stopped with a stricter monitoring system, and that coal should not be traded by unscrupulous people for wrongful gains.
