Of the nine convicted for rat-hole coal mining this year, four were arrested on Saturday and officials have sealed 13 rat-hole mines inside Tinsukia district of Assam on Sunday. The police have not released the identities of the arrested people. This action is part of an increased operation against gleaners and other forms of illegality in the extractive sector in the state.
An important mining method associated with unsafe working conditions and negative environmental impacts is still evident in Assam through rat-hole mining. They are so-called ‘shallow grave’ style mines, which are little trenches, or openings made on the hillsides, and the structures of which entail obvious dangers for the miners.
The state government of Assam has been particularly keen in conducting operations against unauthorised coal mining. Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on January 16, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, said that 222 rat-hole mines had been found operating in the Umrangso, Dima Hasao. The government has vowed to act tough on these irregular businesses and has vowed to close all the illegal mining firms in the state.
This latest-operation in Tinsukia is also in sync with the state’s up-and-coming move to put down unlawful mining and its possible ill-effects. Besides pollution of the environment, these activities take place without regard to any of the labor laws, thus exposing the workers to dangerous acts, and not contributing to the state’s revenues.
Measures have also been taken in.combine with increased vigilance and cooperation that exists beween the local police force,environmental agencies and the Coal India. From this perspective governments are also addressing the issue of eradication of the illegal mining and safe regulated mining within the coal industry.
Further stepping up efforts, we foresee the government is planning to continue the crackdown to again embark a hunt to wipe out all the remaining illegitimate mining operations while encouraging legal and compendious mining in Assam.
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