Meghalaya coke oven plants under scanner over unverified coal sources

The source of coal used by coke oven plants in Meghalaya’s South West Khasi Hills district has come under renewed scrutiny after a High Court-appointed audit committee found that authorities had not verified whether coal procured from within the state was legally sourced.

The finding comes amid continued judicial monitoring of Meghalaya’s coal sector following the National Green Tribunal’s 2014 ban on rat-hole coal mining. The Meghalaya High Court has been overseeing compliance through a committee headed by retired Justice B P Katakey.

During a recent hearing, the Coal Audit Committee reported that an inspection by the South West Khasi Hills district administration on June 1 identified 10 coke oven plants in the district. Three of them were found to be non-operational for want of a valid Consent to Operate (CTO).

However, records from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) showed that Consent to Establish (CTE) had been granted to 15 coke oven plants. Of these, 10 had valid CTOs, while five had not applied for the mandatory approval.

The committee also found that the plants sourced coal from different locations. While some relied on coal brought in from outside Meghalaya, others used coal procured within the state or a combination of both.

The district administration, however, had not verified whether coal brought into the state complied with the 2024 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), or whether coal purchased within Meghalaya had been obtained from legal sources.

Following the findings, Justice Katakey directed a fresh field inquiry into the coke oven plants. The exercise will cover verification of the plants’ existence, statutory approvals, coal sources and compliance with the 2024 SOP.

The committee has also decided to carry out physical inspections of coke oven plants across Meghalaya in coordination with district task forces. The inspections will examine coal procurement, record-keeping and compliance with applicable regulations.

Coke oven plants heat coal at high temperatures to produce coke, a carbon-rich fuel widely used in iron and steel manufacturing.

The latest action is part of a wider audit of coal-based industries in Meghalaya. The Katakey Committee has previously stressed strict adherence to the 2024 SOP and called for continued scrutiny of coal sources used by coke oven, ferro-alloy and cement plants to prevent illegally mined coal from entering industrial supply chains.

The committee has also reported that demand notices have been issued to several coke oven plants for amounts running into lakhs of rupees. Recovery and closure proceedings have been initiated in some cases.

As part of the latest verification, the committee has ordered checks of coal sources and production records of coke oven plants, including month-wise data on coal consumed and coke produced from January 1, 2026. The exercise follows allegations that illegal coal mining continues in the district.

Audits of coal sources used by ferro-alloy plants and cement companies are also under way. Show-cause notices have been issued to Star Cement Meghalaya Ltd and Star Cement Ltd over the source of coal used at their cement plant in East Jaintia Hills district.

The Meghalaya High Court is also examining reports from the Katakey Committee and has sought detailed status reports from the state government on alleged illegal mining, violations of the 2024 SOP and action taken by enforcement agencies.