Rat-hole mining is banned by the Supreme Court. But its practice persists under the noses of government officials and politicians.
A tragedy in a coal mine in the northeastern Indian state of Assam has turned the spotlight once again on the illegal practice of rat-hole mining, which thrives in the region despite a ban by the Supreme Court.
Four dead bodies of miners were retrieved last month from a flooded coal mine at Umrangso in Assam’s Dima Hasao district after water from a nearby unused mine suddenly flooded the site. Employees of the quarry were quoted as saying that there were around 15 workers trapped inside the mine, but the government did not confirm the number.
Navy divers from Vishakapatnam, army personnel, and rescue specialists from other government departments were engaged after a task force was hurriedly formed for the rescue operation. The mine has a 6-meter radius and is about 91 meters deep. The water level inside it has risen to more than 30 meters. However, the reason for the flooding is yet to be ascertained.
For the rest of this article: https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/coal-mine-disaster-in-indias-assam-opens-can-of-worms/