Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
MeghalayaAt least 13 miners feared trapped inside illegal 'rat mine' in Meghalaya's Jaintia Hills

An unfortunate accident in Meghalaya gained the headlines when around 13 miners are believed to be trapped in an illegal “rat hole” coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills. The mine was located near the Lytein river in Ksan village. It is reported that the interiors of the mine flooded and collapsed when the miners were digging.

The coal mining in Meghalaya using the ‘rat-hole mining’ technique has been banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014. But, it has been rampant till date.

Sylvester Nongtngrrescue, the superintendent of Police (SP), Jaintia Hills, said, “The efforts are underway to ensure the safe return of the 13 people trapped inside the mine. We are doing our best to reach out to them.”

The SP added, “We have registered a case against James Sukhlain, the owner of the mine.”

State Government admits

Meghalaya CM, Conrad Sangma told the media, “The focus is on the rescue operations. We are concerned about the miners. The NDRF, district administration, and police are doing all that they can to save the lives of these miners.”

He admitted to the rampant illegal mining in the state, “We admit to illegal mining in the area and will take action. This is not acceptable.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time when the laborers have been trapped in a mine involving illegal “rat-hole” process. Environmental activists have been battling against the  “rat-hole” mining which has been existing for ages now.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *