Shillong, Dec 16 : The East Jaintia Hills district administration in Meghalaya has shut down all unauthorised coke plants following directions of the Meghalaya High Court, officials said.
Deputy Commissioner Shivansh Awasthi said all 11 remaining illegal coke plants in the district are now non-operational after the completion of a demolition drive that began on December 13.
“All 11 unauthorised coke plants are now non-operational,” Awasthi said.
He said a total of 16 coke plants were earlier identified as operating without mandatory statutory approvals in violation of government norms. Of these, five units had been demolished in earlier phases, while the remaining 11 continued operations despite repeated notices.
“In compliance with the directions of the High Court of Meghalaya, a joint team was constituted to carry out the demolition of illegal coke plants operating in the district,” the deputy commissioner said.
The demolition drive was carried out under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Officer Manish Kumar by a joint team comprising officials from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board and the Police Department.
Awasthi said the team demolished seven of the 11 unauthorised coke plants during the latest operation, while four units were found to have already been dismantled by their owners.
“The team successfully demolished seven of the 11 unauthorised coke plants. In the remaining four cases, it was found that the plants had already been dismantled by their respective owners,” he said.
Notices were issued to the plant owners in October 2025, directing them to submit compliance documents for regularisation, but no response was received, prompting the administration to proceed with demolition, officials said.
Authorities said the action reflects a firm approach by the district administration towards enforcing environmental regulations, reducing pollution and ensuring compliance with court directives to promote sustainable industrial practices.
