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3 min readNew DelhiFeb 10, 2026 05:35 PM IST
The coal mine blast occurred in an alleged illegally operating rat-hole mine in a forested area of Thangkso, on the morning of February 5. (ANI Video Grab)
The National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s principal bench Tuesday took suo motu cognisance of media reports on the blast in the alleged illegally operated rat-hole mine in Thangkso, East Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya, that has claimed the lives of 27 workers so far.
The Tribunal bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel took cognisance of media reports on the incident, and issued notices to the Meghalaya Government, the Central Pollution Control Board, the Union Environment Ministry’s regional office in Shillong, and the deputy commissioner of the East Jaintia Hills district.
The government authorities who were issued notice were directed to file their response in the form of an affidavit before the Tribunal, a week before the next hearing date on May 19.
The Tribunal observed that the incident, reportedly caused by a dynamite explosion in an illegally operated rat-hole coal mine in the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya, raises serious concerns about continued violations of environmental laws despite a long-standing ban on such mining activities by NGT, upheld by the Supreme Court.
The Tribunal said that the matter raised in the new report indicates violations and non-compliance of NGT’s orders, including violations of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and the Indian Forest Act, 1927. It also noted allegations that illegal mining continues with the support of influential people, despite monitoring mechanisms being in place.
The coal mine blast occurred in an alleged illegally operating rat-hole mine in a forested area of Thangkso, on the morning of February 5. A rat-hole mine involves digging low, horizontal tunnels, either on hill slopes or branching from a vertical pit dug for the purpose, usually only three to four feet high.
The Indian Express reported on February 7 that following the blast, the East Jaintia Hills police registered an FIR under charges including culpable homicide, violation of Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and the Explosive Substances Act, and as per the police, locals from the area were identified as owners of the illegally operating mine and were arrested.
An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
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