Guwahati, March 24: The Indian Bureau of Mines is launching an innovative initiative to stop illegal mining in the region by apprising these miners of the benefits of legal and scientific mining to bring them over to the right side of the law.

The bureau, which is a multidisciplinary organisation under the ministry of mines, is holding a Mines Environment and Conservation of Mineral Week in November in Shillong, where for the first time illegal mine operators are being roped in to make them aware of legal and scientific mining.

Though the Mines Environment and Conservation of Mineral Week have been held twice earlier in the Northeast, but this is for the first time that support from illegal mine operators is being garnered.

“It is an attempt to educate the illegal mine operators about the benefits of legal mining and this has to be done tactfully. The response has been positive,” L.H. Chhangte, assistant controller of mines and officer in-charge of Indian Bureau of Mines, told The Telegraph today.

The bureau has a sub-regional office in Guwahati.

Under the programme, the illegal mine operators, along with the other participants, will be visiting different mines in Meghalaya and Assam to get to know the benefits of proper mining and films will also be shown. The programme will be held from November 15-21.

The Mechanised Limestone Quarry Owners, the biggest organisation representing illegal mine operators in Meghalaya, is being roped in for the programme.

Conservative estimates have pegged the number of illegal mines in Meghalaya to around 500. The Mineral Concession Rules, 1960 states that mining operations shall be undertaken in accordance with a duly approved mining plan.

There are at present 22 mines (barring coal) in the region, which have mining leases.

An illegal mine is one, which does not have a mining lease but keeps on operating by paying some money to the government. These mines also do not have an explosive licence and use unscientific ways of blasting and illegal explosives.

“The illegal mines cannot get any assistance from any financial institution as they are devoid of any mining plan and lease,” Chhangte said.

In fact, no investor from outside will come to invest in the mining sector if there is no mining plan.

An investors’ meet and conference on development of mineral resources and mineral based industry in the Northeast was held here in November last year.

The Indian Bureau of Mines is primarily responsible for the promotion of systematic and scientific development of mineral resources of the country, conservation of minerals and protection of environment in mines, other than coal, petroleum and natural gas, atomic minerals and minor minerals.