Shan State — A local source has informed Shan Herald that a new company has set up coal -mining operations near Mongkawng village tract in Kyethi Township. located within the Loilem District of Shan State.
"The new company has just started operating for a few days, and we're not sure of its exact name yet. It's situated just one mile from Heay Hein Company's coal mining area. They've brought in a significant number of trucks and machinery, contributing to the rising coal production in the region”, a Kyethi resident said.
Currently, coal production in Kyethi has reached such high levels that an average of at least a hundred 22-wheeled vehicles are being transported daily. A 30-year-old resident of Kyethi voiced concerns about the growing traffic of these enormous vehicles, explaining that it's causing disturbances in the nearby residential areas and disrupting sleep during the night.
"The noise from those vehicle engines is extremely loud. These big 22-wheelers transport coal late at night, causing sleep disturbances for the locals. Sometimes, even children are awakened by the noise, and adults are losing sleep as well. If this continues as it is now, it will bring many difficulties to the local residents”, she told Shan Herald.
Initially, Heay Hein was the sole coal mining company operating in Kyethi. However, with the addition of a new company, both coal production and the traffic of 22-wheeled vehicles have seen significant increases.
Local activists anticipate that coal production in Kyethi may see an even greater increase as the rainy season approaches its end, surpassing the current levels.
"At the moment it's quite wet due to the rainy season, limiting coal production to its current level. However at the end of the rainy season when the weather turns dry, production capacity could surpass the current levels. This might potentially impact the region's natural water resources, leading to potential harm to the agriculture sector”, a young activist noted.
Coal is one of the fossil fuels that drives climate change as well as being extremely harmful to human health and clean air.
Heay Hein Company, involved in coal mining and production for a significant period, was based and actively operating in the western region of Maikhuonglein village within the Mongkawng village tract. Security for the company is provided by the Military Council's 286th Battalion.
Colonel Sai Su, the spokesperson for the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), emphasized that the approved coal mining area within entire Kyethi Township spans only 500 acres, however, at present, both companies have exceeded this limit, operating on a combined area of no less than 700 acres of land.
"The allocated 500 acres came with the assurance of no harm to local housing assets. However, there are reports of the coal mining area expanding to 700 acres. We are currently investigating these claims. If these claims are true, they must reverse this action. We can’t condone it”, he stated in an interview with Shan Herald on August 19th.
While it remains unconfirmed, there have been reports suggesting the potential arrival of MEC, Nampan, and Htun Myat Aung companies for additional coal mining activities in Kyethi.
Locals express concerns that an acceleration in coal mining could have adverse impacts on the Namhin Stream, a crucial resource for agriculture in the area. Such effects could lead to detrimental consequences for farming activities in Kyethi.
