Socio-Economic Implications of Material Supply Chains: An Insight into
Coal Consumption Trends and Mining
Practices in Assam
Rapidly
growing levels of urbanization in Assam have increased the demand for
infrastructure and housing, with the construction sector amplifying at a
compound annual growth rate of 7.35% between 2011-12 and 2016-17. In
India, more than 80% of emissions within this growing construction
industry come from materials, for example, cement, steel, and bricks.
Within the construction sector, the production of burnt bricks is among
the most polluting both in terms of emissions and use of virgin
resources. There is heavy reliance on the use of coal as the primary
fuel due to its easy availability and low cost. As part of its detailed
assessment of the brick sector in Assam, the Development Alternatives
team conducted intensive studies of the brick kilns and coal consumption
in red brick manufacturing in three regions of Assam – Guwahati, Silchar,
and Dibrugarh.
A study of the coal supply chain reveals
many dire socio-economic impacts in regions from where these materials
are sourced. In Guwahati, coal is mainly sourced from Salang in
Meghalaya and Tinsukia in Assam. For Silchar, coal is procured from
Meghalaya and Nagaland, both of which are at a similar distance.
Dibrugarh, which is located about 150 km from Nagaland, primarily uses
coal from various locations of Nagaland including Naginimora and
Margherita. Brick kilns source their coal from traders at local coal
depots who in turn procure the resource material directly from mines
through e-auctions. Increasing regulations around coal mining in
different Indian states cause high fluctuations in the price, quality,
and availability of coal, leading to dependence on coal from farther-off
regions. Besides adding significantly to a higher carbon footprint, this
also increases the transportation and labour costs of raw material
extraction, leading to a tendency to engage in illegal mining practices
to drive down costs.
Coal mining in Nagaland and Meghalaya often
relies on child labour in a common illegal practice known as ‘rat-hole
mining’. In this method, small children, owing to their small body
structures and flexibility, are sent down to extract coal in vertical
shafts of 3–4-feet diameter and up to 100–150-feet depth, despite the
dangerous conditions and structural instability of these mines (Majaw,
2016). Since coal seams are very thin in Meghalaya, rat-hole mining is
considered an economically viable method of coal extraction as compared
to open cast mining. A higher percentage of youths is involved in this
practice due to the potential to earn INR 500–800 per shift – a need
further exacerbated by the lack of literacy and awareness in the
regions, as well as lacking alternative livelihood.
![](Image/pg1.jpg)
![](Image/pg2.jpg)
Figure 1: One of the coal depots in
Guwahati, Assam.
Figure 2: Production of bricks in one of the brick kilns in Silcha,
Assam; using coal as a raw material in the firing process.
Taking note of these issues, the National Green Tribunal (NGT)
temporarily banned rat-hole mining in 2014 (Government of Meghalaya, n.d.).
In 2018, 19 miners lost their lives in a tragic coal mining accident.
This prompted the Government of Meghalaya to insist on the revision of
the NGT ban for legalizing coal mining so as to minimize further loss of
lives and livelihoods (Agarwala, 2022). While states are in the process
of legalizing coal mining practices as per the Supreme Court order of
2018, rat-hole mining is still active and widespread in the state (Zahan,
2021). This leads to reckless, unscientific, and deeply harmful coal
mining practices that cause havoc to the local environment, ruining the
scenic beauty and settlements while causing adverse impacts on the lives
and livelihoods of the local youth.
To address this situation, the state governments and regulatory
authorities must adopt a holistic approach towards mining area
development with strict controls on mining activities through licenses,
leases, penalties, and actively provide actionable information on
appropriate coal mining practices. This is essential to minimize the
many unintended local as well as scattered social, economic and
environmental impacts of mining activities while actively improving
livelihood opportunities and awareness among local communities.
(Business Standard, 2015).
References:
-
Agarwala, T.
2022. Court pulls up Meghalaya government for turning blind eye to
rampant illegal coal mining in state. The Indian Express 9 March,
2022. Accessed on April 26, 2022 at
https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/meghalaya/court-pulls-up-meghalaya-government-for-turning-blind-eye-to-rampant-illegal-coal-mining-in-state-7806702/
-
Business
Standard. 2015. Megha-LAMP project to improve family incomes in
Meghalaya. Business Standard 3 September, 2015. Accessed on April 26,
2022 at
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/megha-lamp-project-to-improve-family-incomes-in-meghalaya-115090300676_1.html#:~:text=%22It%20(Megha%2DLamp),target%20areas%2C%22%20he%20added.
-
Government of
Meghalaya. n.d. Department of Information and Public Relations.
Accessed on April 26, 2022 at Megipr.gov.in
-
Majaw, B.
2016. Ending Meghalaya's "Deadly Occupation": India's National Green
Tribunal's Ban on Rat-Hole Mining. Accessed on April 26, 2022 at
www.jstor.org/stable/26160091; p.34
-
Zahan, S. A.
2021. Why Meghalaya struggles to prevent Illegal coal mining despite
repeated tragedies. Firstpost 15 June, 2021. Accessed on April 26,
2022 at https://www.firstpost.com/india/why-meghalaya-struggles-to-prevent-illegal-coal-mining-despite-repeated-tragedies-9714351.html
Mohak Gupta
mgupta@devalt.org
Rashi
rashi@devalt.org
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