Assam: Five illegal coal miners apprehended in Tirap Reserve Forest

In a decisive operation, the Lekhapani Forest Range Office under the Digboi Forest Division apprehended five illegal coal miners from the Tipong Forest Reserve area on Wednesday morning. 

The operation was led by Range Officer Parishmita Neog and her team, who successfully intercepted the individuals engaged in unlawful rat-hole coal mining.

The apprehended miners have been identified as Subedar N. Sangma, Ajoy M. Sangma, Danen Sangma, Stik Momin, and Jaan Marak, all hailing from Meghalaya. A case (LP/12 of 2024-25) has been registered under the Assam Forest Regulation Act, 1891, and the miners have been sent to judicial custody.

Speaking about the operation, Parishmita Neog stated, “These individuals entered the protected Tipong Forest Reserve area for illegal coal mining. Our team managed to apprehend all five of them before significant damage could be caused.”

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Despite such efforts, concerns persist over rampant illegal coal mining activities in the region. 
Areas such as Namdang Colliery, Tikak Colliery, Ledo Open Cast Project, and others under North Eastern Coalfields Coal India Ltd., Margherita, have reportedly become hotspots for unauthorized mining operations. 

Activists and locals have accused authorities, including the Margherita Sub-Divisional Commissioner, Margherita MLA, Tinsukia District Commissioner, and local police, of inaction against larger coal mafia networks.

While daily-wage labourers are often arrested in these crackdowns, the alleged masterminds behind illegal coal mining operations continue to evade accountability. Environmentalists and civil society groups have urged stricter enforcement of laws to protect Assam’s forest reserves and curb unregulated mining practices that threaten both ecology and local livelihoods.

The Forest Department has reiterated its commitment to curbing illegal activities and safeguarding the state’s natural resources.