East Jaintia Hills: All Unauthorized Coke Plants Demolished Following Court Orders

In a decisive move against illegal industrial operations, the district administration has confirmed that all unauthorised coke plants in East Jaintia Hills have now been dismantled. The action comes in strict compliance with directives issued by the Hon’ble High Court of Meghalaya.

The Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills, Shivansh Awasthi, said that a joint team, supervised by Sub-Divisional Officer Manish Kumar and including officials from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) and the Police Department, was tasked with executing the demolition drive.

Awasthi explained that authorities had initially identified 16 coke plants operating in the district without the required government permissions. While five of these plants had already been taken down in earlier actions, the remaining 11 were issued formal notices in October 2025. The notices called for the plant owners to submit proof of compliance with regulatory requirements. Authorities, however, did not receive any response.

Following the court’s instructions, the joint team moved to dismantle the remaining plants. Of the 11, seven were demolished directly by the administration. Upon inspection, the team found that the remaining four had already been dismantled voluntarily by their owners. As a result, all 11 previously unauthorised plants have now ceased operations.

Officials emphasised that the operation was not merely a bureaucratic exercise but a necessary step to ensure environmental safety and adherence to industrial regulations. Coke plants, if unregulated, can pose significant risks to local communities and ecosystems, including air pollution and soil contamination.

The Deputy Commissioner reiterated the administration’s commitment to strict enforcement of the law and said that similar drives would continue in the district to ensure that all industrial operations are conducted legally and responsibly.

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