By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Coal labourers continue to perish in the coal mines of Meghalaya with the latest case being the death of three coal labourers in South Garo Hills on March 10.
According to reports, on March 10 at about 12 noon, while six coal labourers were getting into a coal pit in a make-shift lift at Era Aning, South Garo Hills, the wire snapped resulting in the death of three labourers identified as Nur Muhammed, Mominul Islam and Mukul Hussain. Police said that they fell into the coal pit and died on the spot, while the three others sustained injuries.
Earlier, on January 21 this year, a coal miner identified as Jagir Hussein, from Badarpur in Assam, was crushed to death when a cable of a coal-laden trolley snapped mid-way at a 250-feet deep coal pit located at Umthalong near Shnongrim village under Sutnga Elaka, East Jaintia Hills.
On January 4, in a strikingly similar accident, five labourers were crushed to death in the coal mine located near Umpleng, Elaka Sutnga in East Jaintia Hills when a cable of coal-laden trolley snapped mid-way in a coal pit.
In July last year, as many as 15 coal labourers were trapped inside a mine in Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills. Rescue and search operations continued for days but the bodies remained untraceable.
Despite Meghalaya having a mining policy, the implementation of various welfare provisions for the labourers is yet to become a reality.
The safety measures for coal labourers have not been implemented by the coal mine owners despite the increase in the number of deaths of mine workers.