Coal weighing as much as 1,000 Indian elephants goes missing in Meghalaya

Days after the Meghalaya High Court criticised the state government over the unexplained disappearance of nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of illegally mined coal from depots in two villages, a state cabinet minister suggested that monsoon rains may have swept it away.

On 24 July, the bench of Justice H.S. Thangkhiew and Justice W. Diengdoh observed that “unknown persons, it appears, have lifted and transported the coal,” and directed the government to identify and hold accountable those responsible for safeguarding it. The court also instructed authorities to “trace the persons who have lifted this coal illegally.”

Speaking to reporters on Monday, State Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Kyrmen Shylla said, “Meghalaya receives the highest rainfall. You never know… because of rain, the coal might have swept away. Chances are very high.”


He clarified, however, that he was not trying to justify the disappearance and admitted that there was no conclusive evidence yet to determine whether the loss was due to natural causes or illegal activity. “I cannot blame just the rain. It could be or it could not be. I really don’t have any kind of details,” he added.

Authorities estimate that nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of coal are missing—an amount roughly equivalent to the combined weight of around 1,000 adult Indian elephants, assuming an average adult male Indian elephant weighs approximately 4 tonnes. Despite the substantial quantity, officials have yet to provide a clear explanation for the disappearance.

Shylla emphasised that all activities related to coal mining or transportation must comply with the law, and that illegal practices must be curbed. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned coal mining and transportation in Meghalaya in 2014, citing unsafe and unregulated mining practices, particularly the rat-hole mining technique prevalent in the state.

The matter came to light after the Justice (Retd.) B.P. Katakey Committee, set up by the High Court to monitor coal mining through a public interest litigation, reported the disappearance in one of its interim reports submitted in July. The missing coal was stored at depots in Rajaju and Diengngan villages.

The state government, in its status report to the Katakey Committee’s 30th interim report, indicated that an FIR had been lodged. However, the court noted that “no other information was given” in the status report.

(With inputs from TOI)