The recent coal mine accident in Assam’s Dima Hasao district has once again brought to the fore the issue of illegal rat-hole mining. On January 6, the rat-hole mine was suddenly flooded reportedly trapping nine miners. Since then, four bodies have been recovered with various agencies engaged in the rescue operation; with eleven days having gone by, it is hardly likely though that any of the others will be found alive. The Assam government has already announced ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the nine victims. The Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has said that the particular mine was abandoned by the Assam Mineral Development Corporation Ltd several years ago. If that be so, it is a sad commentary on the state government that such mines can be exploited by unscrupulous elements with such ease.
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Rat-hole mining was banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2014, and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. This was because of the hazardous nature of the work involved in rat-hole mining with sub-par safety standards. Rat-hole mining, as the name suggests, involves the digging of narrow tunnels to extract coal, often without any safety measures. The tunnels are unstable, prone to collapse, and lack adequate ventilation, increasing the risks of death from suffocation, flooding, or cave-ins. Despite these grave dangers, rat-hole mining was a major livelihood for many poor families in the Northeast, particularly Meghalaya. This practice persists due to the demand for coal and the lack of alternative employment opportunities, especially in rural areas; families rely on coal mining for their sustenance, even at the cost of human lives. This tragic situation demands urgent reform, as it is both an environmental and human rights issue. Rat-hole mining has had severe environmental consequences, contributing to deforestation, soil erosion, and contamination of water sources. The environmental degradation not only affects local communities but also exacerbates the impacts of climate change, contributing to further damage to the region’s fragile ecology.
The continuing prevalence of rat-hole mining indicates a serious gap in implementation. Laws alone are not sufficient without the rigorous enforcement mechanisms to back them up. The Assam government must strengthen surveillance and monitoring of mining operations. Local authorities need to be proactive in detecting illegal mining activities and ensuring that violators are held accountable. One significant step would be to deploy dedicated task forces or regulatory bodies tasked specifically with curbing illegal mining. These bodies could work in collaboration with central agencies, using technology like drones and satellite imagery to monitor mining areas in real-time. These innovations would significantly improve enforcement and deter illegal mining operations. Furthermore, the state government must work on creating alternative sources of income for families dependent on illegal mining. Vocational training programmes, government-subsidised job schemes, and infrastructure development are critical to providing people with safer and more sustainable employment options. Without this, many will continue to resort to illegal mining out of necessity, rather than choice.
