SHILLONG: In what appears to be yet another case of Meghalaya’s coal developing an unfortunate habit of disappearing, a High Court-monitored investigation has uncovered a massive discrepancy of nearly 37,000 metric tonnes (MT) of coal in East Jaintia Hills district.
Justice B.P. Katakey (Retd.), appointed by the High Court to oversee coal-related matters, revealed that a comparison between a high-tech aerial survey and physical ground verification has exposed a gap too large to be dismissed as a counting error.
The discrepancy came to light after data from a Garuda UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) survey was cross-checked with on-site inspections:
Aerial Survey Findings: The drone survey detected 1,572 coal heaps across East Jaintia Hills, estimating the total stock at around 1.8 lakh MT.
Physical Verification: Ground inspections, however, found only 1.43 lakh MT.
The Vanishing Act: Roughly 36,000 to 37,000 MT of coal appears to have vanished somewhere between aerial imagery and physical reality.
“We cannot account for this missing coal,” Justice Katakey stated, confirming that an FIR has been lodged and a criminal investigation is currently underway.
Race Against Time to Save What’s Left
Concerned that the remaining coal may also develop legs, Justice Katakey has directed the East Jaintia Hills district administration to immediately transport the verified 1.43 lakh MT of coal to Coal India Limited (CIL) depots.
The urgency, he noted, is not without reason.
Leaving coal in scattered private heaps, according to Katakey, is an open invitation to illegal diversion and black-market trading. CIL depots, he stressed, offer controlled storage conditions and better monitoring, reducing the risk of further “disappearances.”
Justice Katakey clarified that the 1,572 coal heaps identified through the UAV survey are distinct from previously accounted stocks and must be handled strictly in accordance with High Court directions.
“If we do not move it now, there is a serious risk that this coal will also vanish,” he warned—an observation that, given recent findings, sounds less like speculation and more like precedent.
As investigations continue, the episode once again raises uncomfortable questions about coal management, enforcement, and accountability in the state—where even satellite-backed numbers seem no match for ground-level realities.
For now, the coal that remains is being urged to move quickly—before it, too, decides to disappear.
