Assam environment and forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya on Wednesday visited Saleki amid growing protests against coal mining there and directed the department officials to prepare a report on the area in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam.

The report will be submitted to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s office within three days.

Saleki is in the news these days for proposed open-cast coal mining, nearly 10km from Margherita town in Tinsukia district. Coal mining is likely to harm the flora and fauna of Dehing-Patkai reserve forest, rain forest, wildlife sanctuary and the elephant reserve in the vicinity, environmentalists allege.

“We (the Assam government) will never allow the open-cast coal mining at the cost of destruction of forests areas. I have directed the department officials to prepare an in-depth analysis through complete mapping and drone surveillance of the entire area which we will submit to the chief minister’s office within three days,” Suklabaidya said in his tweet and to the reporters here.

On May 20, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had directed Suklabaidya to visit the wildlife sanctuary. “The government of Assam is committed to protect the environment and biodiversity of the state,” Sonowal said.

Suklabaidya arrived here on Tuesday afternoon just after the visit of All Assam Students Union team with its secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi at the site. He was accompanied by Kamakhya Tasa and other senior forest and Coal India officials and took stock of the project site of Saleki proposed reserve forest, which falls under Digboi forest division.

“I interacted with prominent citizens of Tinsukia, Margherita and Ledo on the night in Tinsukia circuit house to discuss on various aspects related to Dehing-Patkai rainforest, received memorandums from various organisations on my visit to Tekok open-cast mining site in Saleki proposed reserve forest. I have assured that the Assam government will allow any destruction or harmful activities towards the flora and fauna of Assam,” Suklabaidya tweeted on Wednesday.

The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) recently accorded permission to the Northeastern Coalfields, a unit of Coal India Ltd, for coal mining in Saleki. The Northeastern Coalfields has also clarified its stand on coal mining at Saleki.

AASU secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi told The Telegraph, “Dehing-Patkai is a burning issue. The government should ban the proposed open coal mining at Saleki with immediate effect. Open-cast coal mining is an outdated concept. Modern technology should be used. All alleged illegal coal mining if any, must be totally banned and strict action should be taken. A balance to save biodiversity was take even by the British here. Nature must not be harmed merely for money.”