<p>Guwahati: At least 220 illegal "rat hole" coal mines have been detected around the flooded mine at Umrangso in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/assam">Assam</a>'s Dima Hasao district, in which nine workers got trapped on January 6, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. </p><p>Bodies of four workers were retrieved from the flooded mine but the remaining five has still remained missing. </p><p>After a cabinet meeting in central Assam's Morigaon district, Sarma told reporters that as per a report submitted by the Dima Hasao district administration, many animals also died after falling into such open coal mines and so the government will analyse the satellite data of how and when these mines came up, for necessary action. </p>.Rat-hole mines and a ban that failed.<p>"These mines were identified during investigation about how this incident happened. As these mines are resulting in deaths of many animals, the government is now planning to take help of the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute to plug those. But this is going to be very difficult job" Sarma said. </p><p>Sarma said the rescue operation in the mine got halted due to water in the well. "According to assessment by experts, there are are around 14 crore liters of water in the well and about four crore litres have been flushed out. Our officials today told the Cabinet that it may take upto 60 days to dewater the well. Our efforts will continue to dewater the well till we reach a logical conclusion about fate of the five missing workers." The CM announced exgratia of Rs. 10 lakh each to family members of the nine workers.</p><p>The mine got flooded after the workers hit a nearby well, which was already flooded, while digging horizontal shafts to extract coal. Some shafts are so narrow that workers have to crawl like rats and so the name rat hole mines. The CM earlier said preliminary investigation suggested that the mine was illegal.</p><p><strong>Judicial probe ordered</strong></p><p>Faced with criticism over how such illegal coal mines were operating, Sarma said the Cabinet on Thursday decided to institute a judicial inquiry to be headed by retired judge of Gauhati High Court, Justice Anima Hazarika, to investigate into the entire incident and submit a report within three months. The CM said the Cabinet also asked the DGP to initiate a criminal investigation into the incident and form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which will be under the monitoring of the judicial inquiry commission. </p><p>The Opposition parties including Congress alleged involvement of Debolal Gorlosa, the Chief of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, under which the coal mine falls. BJP is in power of the council. Police arrested two persons in connection with the mishap in the illegal coal mine. </p>
<p>Guwahati: At least 220 illegal "rat hole" coal mines have been detected around the flooded mine at Umrangso in <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/assam">Assam</a>'s Dima Hasao district, in which nine workers got trapped on January 6, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday. </p><p>Bodies of four workers were retrieved from the flooded mine but the remaining five has still remained missing. </p><p>After a cabinet meeting in central Assam's Morigaon district, Sarma told reporters that as per a report submitted by the Dima Hasao district administration, many animals also died after falling into such open coal mines and so the government will analyse the satellite data of how and when these mines came up, for necessary action. </p>.Rat-hole mines and a ban that failed.<p>"These mines were identified during investigation about how this incident happened. As these mines are resulting in deaths of many animals, the government is now planning to take help of the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute to plug those. But this is going to be very difficult job" Sarma said. </p><p>Sarma said the rescue operation in the mine got halted due to water in the well. "According to assessment by experts, there are are around 14 crore liters of water in the well and about four crore litres have been flushed out. Our officials today told the Cabinet that it may take upto 60 days to dewater the well. Our efforts will continue to dewater the well till we reach a logical conclusion about fate of the five missing workers." The CM announced exgratia of Rs. 10 lakh each to family members of the nine workers.</p><p>The mine got flooded after the workers hit a nearby well, which was already flooded, while digging horizontal shafts to extract coal. Some shafts are so narrow that workers have to crawl like rats and so the name rat hole mines. The CM earlier said preliminary investigation suggested that the mine was illegal.</p><p><strong>Judicial probe ordered</strong></p><p>Faced with criticism over how such illegal coal mines were operating, Sarma said the Cabinet on Thursday decided to institute a judicial inquiry to be headed by retired judge of Gauhati High Court, Justice Anima Hazarika, to investigate into the entire incident and submit a report within three months. The CM said the Cabinet also asked the DGP to initiate a criminal investigation into the incident and form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which will be under the monitoring of the judicial inquiry commission. </p><p>The Opposition parties including Congress alleged involvement of Debolal Gorlosa, the Chief of Dima Hasao Autonomous Council, under which the coal mine falls. BJP is in power of the council. Police arrested two persons in connection with the mishap in the illegal coal mine. </p>