Khliehriat, December 14, 2025: In compliance with the directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Meghalaya, the district administration of East Jaintia Hills has undertaken a demolition drive against unauthorised coke plants operating within the district.

Deputy Commissioner of East Jaintia Hills, Shri Shivansh Awasthi, IAS, in a video statement, informed that a joint team was constituted to carry out the demolition of coke plants that were functioning without mandatory authorisations as prescribed under government norms.

The joint team, operating under the supervision of Sub-Divisional Officer Shri Manish Kumar, IAS, comprised officials from the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) and the Police Department. The team was tasked with identifying and demolishing all unauthorised coke plants in the district.

According to the Deputy Commissioner, a total of 16 coke plants were identified in East Jaintia Hills District as operating without the required permissions. Of these, five coke plants had been demolished earlier.

For the remaining 11 unauthorised coke plants, notices were issued in October 2025, directing the owners to submit proof of compliance and obtain necessary permissions for regularisation. However, no response was received from the concerned plant owners.

Subsequently, acting on the directions of the Hon’ble High Court of Meghalaya, the district administration instructed the joint teams to proceed with the demolition of the remaining unauthorised units. The demolition drive commenced on Saturday, December 13, 2025.

As of the date of reporting, the joint teams have demolished seven of the 11 unauthorised coke plants. The remaining four plants were found to have already been dismantled by their respective owners, officials said.

“With this, all 11 unauthorised coke plants are now non-operational,” the Deputy Commissioner stated, adding that the district administration remains committed to enforcing environmental regulations and court directives.