From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Lack of proactive steps on part of the district administration and Labour Department to ensure the safety of coal mine workers has yet again rendered the coal labourers as victims of accidents in the mines.
The latest case is that of one Sunil Das, a laborer in a coal quarry at Umlawang, East Jaintia Hills, who died when a boulder fell on him at around 7 am on March 25.
However, the Police along with the mine owners and operators of East Jaintia Hills District say that carelessness on part of labourers is the main cause of the frequent accidents in coalmines in Meghalaya.
“They (coal labourers) are careless and do not take the necessary precautions”, said one Mohan Pradhan, a supervisor (Sordar) in a coal mine.
On being asked whether any awareness programme were being organized with regards to safety of mine workers, one of the coal mine owners replied in the
negative.
“Neither the government, nor the NGOs or coalmine owners have ever organized any awareness programme in connection with mine safety”, mine owner, E Sutnga said.
It has been learnt that most of the accidents in coal mines go unreported.
Two coal mine workers were recently killed in East Jaintia Hills District in separate incidents. A boulder fell on the coal worker identified as Biliteng Basumatary resulting in his death, while he was working inside a coal mine at Lamyrsiang on March 17 while one Md. Faizur Rahman Mazumdar was also killed when a boulder fell on him while he was working inside the coal mine at Rymbai village on March 16.
Apart from the mineral rich East Jaintia Hills District similar incidents have also taken place in other parts of the State, particularly in Garo Hills.
This correspondent during a visit to Briwar witnessed ‘carelessness’ on part of coal labourers who climbed up a 240 feet coal pitch hanging by the rope of a trolley used to lift coal from deep within.
Such carelessness of the coal labourers have led to deaths and accidents.
“The government, as part of implementation of the Mining Policy, should at least regulate mine safety in the area so that the people directly involved in extraction of coal should be aware of the norms and avoid accidents in the mines,” observers said.