Shillong, Aug. 2: The campaign to save the ancient caves of Meghalaya in Jaintia Hills district is turning out to be a nightmare for those spearheading the movement.

Sources said the Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association and its supporters have been forced to go slow over the issue because of alleged threats from the “coal lobby”. A few days ago, headmen of villages in Sutnga constituency of Jaintia Hills had been warned not to support the association, they added.

The sources said the association might withdraw the public interest litigation (PIL) it had filed in Supreme Court recently to seek a ban on mining and cement factories that are perceived to be a threat to the largest network of cave systems in the subcontinent, dating back to the Jurassic age.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, had admitted the PIL on July 24 and issued notices to the Centre and the Meghalaya government to submit their replies within four weeks. In the petition, the association’s counsel, Bijan Ghosh, had sought immediate suspension of mining activities and removal of cement factories.

Pointing out that the caves were defined as “ancient monument” under Section 2A of the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, Ghosh said mining activities and industries, especially cement-based ones, were “endangering the cave systems and the ecological and hydro balance, polluting air and water and destroying forests and non-timber products”.

Jaintia Hills has the longest cave system in the subcontinent, the Krem Um Im-Liat Prah. Measuring 22.2 km, this cave system was discovered by members of the association and an international team of speleologists. After the discovery, the association waged a lone battle to save these “ancient heritage sites” from destruction.

The “save cave campaign”, however, could turn out to be “a losing battle” because of alleged threats from coal and mining lobbies in the state.

“The coal and limestone business is a big moneyspinner and the mining lobby in Meghalaya is controlled by powerful people. It will not be easy for the association and its supporters to continue to fight this way,” a source said.

However, the association’s secretary, Brian Dermot Kharpran Daly, said there was no move to withdraw the PIL so far. “We only agreed in principle to withdraw our case if our conditions to save the caves and stop unmindful mining activities were met,” he added.

According to Daly, chief minister J.D. Rymbai had requested the association during a meeting a few days back to withdraw the PIL. Rymbai told the association that a PIL was “no answer” to the problem.

He suggested formation of a sub-committee to “address the issues surrounding the cave controversy.”