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15 People Have Been Trapped In A Mine In Meghalaya For 3 Weeks, What Is The Govt. Doing?

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In the wake of the recent Meghalaya mine tragedy, Supreme Court on January 3, 2019, rapped the Meghalaya Government over its inability to rescue 15  miners who are still trapped in the mine for over three weeks. The SC has also agreed to hear a plea seeking immediate steps by the Centre and state government to rescue miners trapped inside an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills. The developments come a week after Congress’ Shillong MP Vincent H Pala highlighted the problem of illegal mining in the state during the winter session in the lower house. Pala had demanded regularisation of illegal coal mining activity in the state to avoid occurrences of such tragedies in the future.

On December 13, 2018, the water from the nearby Lyten River flooded the mine in Ksan, in Jaintia Hill district of Meghalaya after twenty workers illegally cut into an adjacent mine using the “rat hole technique”. While five of them somehow managed to escape, 15 workers got trapped. Indian Air Force, National, and State Disaster Response Forces, Coal India Limited Odisha Fire Services and some other agencies have been tasked to rescue the workers. However, questions are being raised on these efforts.

On December 27, Pala, moved an adjournment notice in the Lower House to rescue the miners trapped in East Jaintia Hill District and regularise the mining to provide workers with better security mechanisms. Ironically, Pala, a prominent coal businessman in the state, had earlier opposed the ban on the illegal mining ordered by NGT in 2014. Despite the ban,  illegal mining is rampant in the state. According to a Citizen’s report prepared by civil society groups in Meghalaya and submitted to the SC earlier this month, many politicians own a coal mine or have relatives as mine owners. NGT proscribed coal mining in Meghalaya specifically banning mining through the ‘rat hole technique’ because of its unscientific nature and negative environmental consequences. In the absence of any regulation, workers dig narrow tunnels in mountains extract coal without proper security mechanisms.  

The local economy of Meghalaya depends on coal mining and it is the bread and butter of many, as the government has failed to provide the poor with an alternative mode of employment. The ban on mining has only pushed the activity under the carpet, while the associated hazards have continued to put the lives of workers under danger. The issue has been politicized in the state as the incumbent Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in his rallies in coal-rich constituencies, claimed that the people of Meghalaya largely depend on coal but the former state government under Mukul Sangma’s leadership failed to let mining resume. 

Moreover, Meghalaya incident and subsequent response from the authorities has raised questions on the efficiency of India’s Disaster management capabilities. While the local administration had made a request for pumps to remove the water on  December 20, the request was received by the Coal India Limited (CIL) on December 26. Later, IAF was deployed in the rescue operation. The delay in responding to the crisis has aggravated the situation.

Meanwhile, SC on January 3, 2019,  would hear the petition filed by Aditya N Prasad. The petition seeks a directive that mandates the Centre and other authorities to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to timely and effectively respond to emergencies in ‘mines and other similar situations’.  

The post 15 People Have Been Trapped In A Mine In Meghalaya For 3 Weeks, What Is The Govt. Doing? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.


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