<p class="bodytext">In the death of at least 27 workers in an explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, there is another reminder of the serious dangers these mines pose. Despite warnings being issued about the safety of workers involved in the operations, and official claims that steps are in place to prevent such mining practices, accidents continue to happen. At least nine people were killed in a mishap in Assam’s Dima Hasao district last year. East Jaintia Hills have seen multiple accidents and deaths. Unregulated mining in these areas, called ‘rat-hole mining’, involves serious risks as it involves the extraction of coal in the most hazardous conditions. The mines are narrow pits in which only one person can go down. They come without stable roofs or side-wall protection. When they collapse, they bury people under them, making rescue operations arduous. Flooding of the mines has also aggravated some of the accidents.</p>.Meghalaya coal mine blast: Death toll climbs to 28; judicial inquiry ordered.<p class="bodytext">Owners and operators of illegal mines have circumvented laws and procedures to establish what has evolved as a profitable business. Authorities who look the other way have facilitated a spread in operations – many mines are small enterprises scattered across the region. There is a network of operators who ensure that the coal mined in these regions is taken to the markets. Workers are typically not covered under social welfare or entitled to any benefits. Sometimes, it is not known how many workers are involved in accidents because formal records of the numbers employed are missing. Families do not often receive compensation in case of fatalities or debilitating accidents. Many of the accidents are not reported at all.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on rat-hole mining in 2014, citing safety risks and environmental damage. The Supreme Court upheld the ban, and a committee appointed by the Meghalaya High Court in 2022 pointed out the failures in implementing the ban. The local authorities have been less than enthusiastic about the ban. In 2015, the Meghalaya Assembly even requested the Centre to exempt the state from the purview of mining laws. The recurring accidents underline the need for uncompromised enforcement of the ban. Implementation has failed because of the high demand for coal, poverty in the region, and the nexus between the mine owners, operators, officials, and politicians. The judicial inquiry must lead to stringent action against those who violate the law. At a deeper level, measures should also be initiated towards alleviating poverty in the region and offering alternative means of livelihood to the workers.</p>
<p class="bodytext">In the death of at least 27 workers in an explosion at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, there is another reminder of the serious dangers these mines pose. Despite warnings being issued about the safety of workers involved in the operations, and official claims that steps are in place to prevent such mining practices, accidents continue to happen. At least nine people were killed in a mishap in Assam’s Dima Hasao district last year. East Jaintia Hills have seen multiple accidents and deaths. Unregulated mining in these areas, called ‘rat-hole mining’, involves serious risks as it involves the extraction of coal in the most hazardous conditions. The mines are narrow pits in which only one person can go down. They come without stable roofs or side-wall protection. When they collapse, they bury people under them, making rescue operations arduous. Flooding of the mines has also aggravated some of the accidents.</p>.Meghalaya coal mine blast: Death toll climbs to 28; judicial inquiry ordered.<p class="bodytext">Owners and operators of illegal mines have circumvented laws and procedures to establish what has evolved as a profitable business. Authorities who look the other way have facilitated a spread in operations – many mines are small enterprises scattered across the region. There is a network of operators who ensure that the coal mined in these regions is taken to the markets. Workers are typically not covered under social welfare or entitled to any benefits. Sometimes, it is not known how many workers are involved in accidents because formal records of the numbers employed are missing. Families do not often receive compensation in case of fatalities or debilitating accidents. Many of the accidents are not reported at all.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on rat-hole mining in 2014, citing safety risks and environmental damage. The Supreme Court upheld the ban, and a committee appointed by the Meghalaya High Court in 2022 pointed out the failures in implementing the ban. The local authorities have been less than enthusiastic about the ban. In 2015, the Meghalaya Assembly even requested the Centre to exempt the state from the purview of mining laws. The recurring accidents underline the need for uncompromised enforcement of the ban. Implementation has failed because of the high demand for coal, poverty in the region, and the nexus between the mine owners, operators, officials, and politicians. The judicial inquiry must lead to stringent action against those who violate the law. At a deeper level, measures should also be initiated towards alleviating poverty in the region and offering alternative means of livelihood to the workers.</p>
