SHILLONG: The Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) has found fresh rat hole mining of coal in East Jaintia Hills District last week. The organisation also alleged that several youths were killed in a series of mine accidents.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the CSWO informed that a youth identified as Khud Sngiawbha Dkhar of Musniang Rim village, died in a coal mine, nearby Mutong village in February last year, as the mine came down on him.
It was informed that he was working in coal mine of Shad Dkhar, while another person related to him was also injured. The mine they worked in was a side cutting wherein a hole is cut from the side of the hill and the miners explore the inside of the hill for coal.
In another incident, Paulwis Dkhar (30) died in January this year, near Wah Hali Daloi, Musniang, as he went to work in the coal mine belonging to Apinis Dkhar.
Another person died in a similar case of mine crashing near the Presbyterian Church of Musniang Rim.
The mine he was working at was a box cutting, where the earth is dug out in the form of a square box having width and breadth of about 15 or 20 feet and height goes down to more than 200 ft even to 400 ft in some areas till seams of coal is seen. Down under in the floor of the box cutting, a hole is made that is fit for a person to crawl in. Steps are made of wood that goes down to the bottom where the rat hole is and where the work starts.
The CSWO said the fresh coal mining is being carried out in many areas of the district, adding “in Umthynrew under Musniang Rim, mining is being carried out by the persons namely Daoni Dkhar, Ruun Dkhar of village Musniang Rim, who are managers or commonly known as ‘Sordars’ of Buromphi Siangshai, inspite of objections from the land owner.”It was noticed that apart from these villages, other adjacent areas on the road of Lad Rymbai from Kongong, migrant workers have also been spotted.
There is rampant earth cuttings in these areas and four wheelers were used in the evenings to haul the coal out into the road sides destroying water bodies and violating the NGT ban, the statement said.
The organisation fears that more mines might come up in the future and the number of accidental deaths might increase if action not taken. (Contd on P-10)