Sulphur study of the Palaeogene coals from Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, NE India: Implications for palaeoenvironment, utilisation prospects, and environmental impacts

Coal samples of Eocene age (Shella Formation) from four different mines (Bapung, Jaintia, Sutunga, and Lakadong) of the Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, Northeast India, were collected and investigated to observe the sulphur content and to understand the palaeoenvironment, utilisation prospects, and environmental impact. The study reveals that these coal samples contain sulphur in higher concentration (4.46% to 7.26%) both organic and inorganic forms. There are 3 coal seams exposed in the area. The organic sulphur is higher (2.53%-5.49%) than the inorganic forms (1.26%-1.77%). The upper seam is found to contain higher concentration of sulphur than the lower seam. Intra seam pyritic sulphur also shows an upward increasing trend. The high sulphur content in the coal seams suggests the marine influence in the peat-forming swamps. These coals are classified as High Sulphur coal (>1%) which is the main obstacle in the utilization although high volatile matter and hydrogen content strongly suggest that these coals are good for liquefaction. Moreover, during coal combustion emissions of sulphur dioxide produce acid rain, affecting the environment of the mine areas.

Description of eleven new species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from Meghalaya state, north eastern India

A survey was done in the state of Meghalaya, India covering East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts during May to July, 2019. During the survey 350 specimens were collected from which 11 new species are described—Amblyseius azaliae sp. nov., Amblyseius meghalayensis sp. nov., Euseius fascae sp. nov., Euseius dwakiensis sp. nov., Okiseius jainticus sp. nov., Okiseius unisetatus sp. nov., Phytoseius clavus sp. nov., Phytoseius aonlae sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) barapanicus sp. nov., Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) campana sp. nov., and Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cherrapunjiensis sp. nov.

The Role of Community Reserved Forests in the Conservation of Anuran Amphibians in Meghalaya, North-East India

The state of Meghalaya is situated in the north-eastern India and it comprises three major regions, namely, the Khasi Hills, the Jaintia Hills and the Garo Hills inhabited by three main tribal groups, the Khasis, the Jaintias and the Garos respectively. The tribal communities of Meghalaya protect and nurture the forests located close to their habitation and consider them as sacred. These Community reserved forests are managed by the community for their benefits and they comprise almost about 90% of the total forest cover in Meghalaya. With the recent trends of development and construction in the state many habitats are getting destroyed at an alarming rate. These community reserve forests have been seen to provide the maximum number of existing and stable habitats for many amphibian (anuran) species. In addition, they served as suitable sites for the breeding activities and oviposition by anurans. Discovery of many new anuran species have also been reported from such reserved forests.

Investigating forest fragmentation through earth observation datasets and metric analysis in the tropical rainforest area

Extensive mining operations, deforestation, jhumming, and soil erosion coupled with population stress in the study area have put an adverse effect on its forest resources. This study investigates the transition in forest cover classes and its fragmentation in the Jaiñtia Hills District of Meghalaya (India). Satellite data (multispectral images from Landsat 5 and 8) for 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2015 were classified using the supervised classification method. Landscape metrics from the classified images were calculated using FRAGSTATS. The overall accuracy of classification was found to be 87.50% (1995), 87.50% (2001), 85.00% (2007) and 91.67% (2015), respectively. The results revealed an increase in dense forest with an increase in the patch number from 1995 to 2007. Additionally, a decrease in non-forest cover with an increase in the number of patches from 2001 to 2015 was observed which further suggests fragmentation. It has been reported that 8.13% of the dense forest increased and 19.47% of non-forested areas decreased during the study period. Overall, this study highlights the changes in the distribution of forest area which could aid policy makers to adopt appropriate forest conservation strategies.

OCCUPATIONAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY AMONG COAL WORKERS AND MINING COMMUNITIES PROXIMATE TO COAL MINING AREAS- A CASE STUDY OF JAINTIA HILLS DISTRICT IN MEGHALAYA

The coal sector of Meghalaya provides the rural people and migrants the means of livelihood. It is an artisanal and small-scale mining which obtain minerals illegally. The present study examines the working conditions and conditions of work of coal workers at the mines which endangers the lives of miners daily. The researcher conducted a household survey with a total sample size of 180 households. Data were collected at the household and individual level surveyed from different coal bearing villages. The problems of environmental degradation are a growing concern to the mined and unmined areas yet on the other side the more complex effects are that unscientific mining is also inextricably associated to different health hazards. The result shows that most mining households with 53% performed work at very deep underground pits of a depth higher than 121 feet below the ground level and 46% of the households reveals to have work in narrow rat holes which are dug horizontally and the distance of its ranging from 1000-1500 metres. Meanwhile the illegal activity pushes to continue extraction into the remote pristine forests which are far from government hospitals, schools, have no transportation service and complete absence of work safety conduct. KEYWORDS: Informal mining, coal workers, rat-hole mines, mortality, morbidity, health conditions, Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya.

Spatial and temporal village-level prevalence of Plasmodium infection and associated risk factors in two districts of Meghalaya, India

Background Despite declining incidence over the past decade, malaria remains an important health burden in India. This study aimed to assess the village-level temporal patterns of Plasmodium infection in two districts of the north-eastern state of Meghalaya and evaluate risk factors that might explain these patterns. Methods Primary Health Centre passive malaria case data from 2014 to 2018 were analysed to characterize village-specific annual incidence and temporal trends. Active malaria case detection was undertaken in 2018 and 2019 to detect Plasmodium infections using PCR. A questionnaire collected socio-demographic, environmental, and behavioural data, and households were spatially mapped via GPS. Adult mosquitoes were sampled at a subset of subjects' houses, and Anopheles were identified by PCR and sequencing. Risk factors for Plasmodium infection were evaluated using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and spatial cluster analysis was undertaken. Results The annual malaria incidence from PHC-based passive surveillance datasets in 2014–2018 was heterogenous but declining across villages in both districts. Active surveillance in 2018 enrolled 1468 individuals from 468 households (West Jaintia Hills) and 1274 individuals from 359 households (West Khasi Hills). Plasmodium falciparum prevalence per 100 people varied from 0 to 4.1% in the nine villages of West Jaintia Hills, and from 0 to 10.6% in the 12 villages of West Khasi Hills. Significant clustering of P. falciparum infections [observed = 11, expected = 2.15, Relative Risk (RR) = 12.65; p < 0.001] was observed in West Khasi Hills. A total of 13 Anopheles species were found at 53 houses in five villages, with Anopheles jeyporiensis being the most abundant. Risk of infection increased with presence of mosquitoes and electricity in the households [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.19 and 1.11], respectively. Households with reported animals had reduced infection risk (OR = 0.91). Conclusion Malaria incidence during 2014–2018 declined in all study villages covered by the passive surveillance data, a period that includes the first widespread insecticide-treated net campaign. The survey data from 2018 revealed a significant association between Plasmodium infection and certain household characteristics. Since species of Plasmodium-competent mosquito vectors continue to be abundant, malaria resurgence remains a threat, and control efforts should continue.

Environmental Impact of Rat-Hole Coal Mines on the Biodiversity of Meghalaya, India

The paper appreciates coal mining laws and policies applied by National Green Tribunal to ban traditional, artisanal and rat-hole coal mining in Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya (a state in India) in an attempt to conserve its environment and biodiversity. Meghalaya represents an important part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot which is one of the four bio-diversity hotspots of India and ranks 34th among the hotspots in the world. It is equally bestowed with rich deposits of coal, which can be found in the Khasi Hills, Garo Hills and Jaintia Hills districts. Coal mining from these districts is labour-intensive and involves digging narrow rat-hole sized tunnels that are four-feet high. The workers enter into the rat-hole in an extremely hazardous manner, setting aside the ergonomic principles for the extraction of coal. The legal framework of coal mining is governed by Mines Act, 1952, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, Mineral Concession Rules, 1960, Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973, Mineral Conservation and Development Rules, 1988 and Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015. However, these laws are not applied to Meghalaya because of its constitutional status enshrined in Sixth Schedule and Article 244 of the Constitution of India, 1950. Coal mining has brought employment opportunities, tribal sustenance and economic development that led to environmental degradation, disruption of ecosystems and biological diversity. The hazardous pursuits have been bereft of safety and ergonomic principle besides being oblivious of SDF of mining laws and policies in India.

Language Recognition and Identity Formation in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills

The official use of any language by the administration and employment of the said language by the state whether through educational institutions and administrators as a standard literary dialect, gives it recognition. The Education policy adopted by the British and the choice of English being made the language of instruction throughout the country is made evident in Macaulay’s Minute of 1835 and is reiterated again more than a decade later in the Minute of 1847. From the very beginning English was associated with the administration and the benefits that it would bring but they failed to take into account the people who were unfamiliar with it. The categorization and later association of languages with religion, caste, community, tribe and class is evident in the various census undertakings as the official recognition became a determination of its status. In the Census of 1891, the Khasis and Jaintias are relegated as “two groups statistically insignificant”, considering the population and the number of people who spoke the languages associated with the communities. The use of the Roman script had by this time been, “thoroughly established” by the missionaries. The first few census data and later writings by indigenous writers helped cement the association of language with the community. The use of the vernacular in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, by the earliest missionaries, initially arose more out of necessity and convenience rather than by official decree. The choice and standardization of dialect and script in print however, helped solidify a Khasi identity. This paper seeks to look at the link between recognition of the standard language used in print and identity formation in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and the relevance of language as a marker of identity today.