Some of those who voted YES had this to say:
• Yes. It is very saddening to see the devastation it's caused over the past few years- barren farmlands and empty rivers and streams that were thriving not long back. If it continues (without proper regulations being enforced) I'm afraid the land and many of the poorer in society will suffer.
• Yes. Because when we cut down all the trees, destroy all the soil, pollute all the water then only we will realize that we can’t eat money!
• In a few years from now, we will not have any more cultivable land.
• Yes. We don't want one man rich culture and system. Safe the planet earth and ecology system.
• Yes. Because conserving our Biodiversity and virgin forest is what matters now. We have already lost enough.
• Yes. It’s not the community that is benefiting it. Only few individuals in villages are benefiting it.
• Yes. In our area coal mining is leading to many social evils like gambling, addiction, prostitution. Mining organizations go lobbying with money to influential council members and individuals in the village. This is destroying the social structure of the villages.
Some of those who voted NO had this to say:
• No. We don’t like it but now many people’s lives and livelihood has come to depend on coal mining. The government should create alternatives if coal mining is to be banned.
• No, when bureaucrats and politicians are also involved in mining due you think they will create restrictions? It’s a joke.
Some of those who voted OTHERS had this to say:
• My village area has been facing coal mining for many years now. In the first few years it seems lucrative and beneficial. But in the long run only few individuals benefit and the coal mining syndicates benefit the most. In the long run, the environment, land, streams and rivers, health, forest and even the social fiber of the village is being destroyed. The long term disaster is not at all beneficial.
• Opinions sought above is not a question of should or if, it’s about how. We have a separate and exclusive department for that reason, pressure them to do their job. Period!
• Standard legislation concerning the efficiency of mining is a long way off for our government obviously. Mining impacts the environment in unnatural ways, which not only disrupts its natural decaying process, but also does more damage on a long-term basis than natural erosion processes. All existing coal mines in Nagaland, I believe, are illegal and unregulated. So, if at all the government cannot fully and totally apply a bandh on such mining activities, than atleast new policy measures for greener mining should be enacted and implemented.
