India villagers fight to extend coal mine ban

Environmentalists in India are fighting to extend a ban on coal mining in the northeastern state of Meghalaya.

The National Green Tribunal, the country’s dedicated environmental court, put a stop to the lucrative industry in April following complaints by villages that rampant and unregulated mining had poisoned the rivers.

But tribal landowners have been arguing that they do not need environmental clearances, because the country’s constitution gives them an absolute authority over their land.

Al Jazeera’s Karishma Vyas reports from Meghalaya state.