The Margherita administration, in collaboration with local police, Coal India officials, and the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), dismantled the illegal rat-hole mines in Namdang
GUWAHATI: Authorities in Assam’s Margherita sub-district conducted a crackdown on illegal mining operations, shutting down at least 13 rat-hole mines on Saturday, January 18. This development comes after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced a judicial inquiry into the Umrangso coal mine crisis.
ALSO READ: Assam Native Gets 12 Years For Murder Of Five-Year-Old In Kerala
The Margherita administration, in collaboration with local police, Coal India officials, and the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), dismantled the illegal rat-hole mines in Namdang. A significant cache of mining tools and equipment was also seized during the operation.
Authorities also cut off electrical lines supplying power to these mining sites and confiscated pumps, motors, and other mining tools used in the illegal activities. An abandoned Coal India office, which had been illegally repurposed with electrical equipment, was sealed, while an excavator found on the premises was taken to the Margherita police station.
Speaking to GPlus, an official from the Margherita Police Station said, “Investigations are ongoing at the moment. We cannot say for certain that these are the exact number of illegal mines operating in the region, for we are still probing into the matter.”
Meanwhile, the judicial probe into the coal mine crisis is expected to uncover further details about illegal mining activities in Assam. Further details are awaited as the situation updates.
