JOWAI/GUWAHATI/SHILLONG: The government is yet to provide high-capacity pumps to the rescue team even as chances of survival of the 15 trapped miners are getting bleaker by the day.
East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Frederick M Dopth said on Sunday water would not recede if the high capacity pumps were not installed.
“I have informed and requested the state government. The matter is being examined by the government,” he added.
The rescue operation by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and its state counterpart entered its tenth day on Sunday with no progress in sight.
The water seeping into the 370-foot deep coal mine at Ksan under Nongkhlieh Elaka is being pumped out with the help of two 25 HP pumps.
Mining expert Jaswant Singh Gill, who visited the site of the rescue operation recently, had suggested that around 10 powerful pumps with at least 100-150 HP were needed to pump out the water.
The state government had written to Coal India Ltd asking for such high-power submersible pumps. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said on Saturday that time was running out and “I hope they respond to the request”.
At least 15 miners were trapped in the rat hole mine after water from a nearby river entered the mine from multiple points and blocked their exit routes to the surface on the morning of December 13.
“We went there, checked the water level in the mine shaft only to find that it has receded by just one and half inches, which is negligible. Hence, nothing could be done. Now, we are waiting for the survey report on the water seepage points which will be made known to us by the government,” Santosh Kumar, assistant commandant, 1st Battalion, NDRF, told The Shillong Times on Sunday evening.
A survey was carried out by a team from the state government on Saturday on the advice of Gill who had inspected the site last Thursday.
“The survey team was present at the site today (on Sunday) as well probably to collect data regarding the water level for analysis,” Kumar said.
The deputy commissioner and Additional Deputy Commissioner SS Syiemlieh were present at the site on Sunday. But experienced miners who were helping the rescue team did not come and Dopth had to request several mine owners to send their workers to operate the crane engine so that the NDRF personnel could go down. It was only after pleading that some machine operators came to help.
Also, many among those present at the site said the water that was being pumped out on Sunday morning had an unpleasant smell.
Family members of the trapped miners have given up hope of their survival. Shohor Ali, who is from Magurmari village in West Garo Hills, has his son, brother and son-in-law trapped in the mine.
“We have all lost hope to see them alive. I just wanted the authorities to help us retrieve the bodies for their last rites,” he said.
Ali also said all the three were lured with a promise of Rs 2,000 as wage per day. “I was the first person to get in touch with MLA (Rajabala constituency) Azad Aman to find out about the accident,” he added.
Interim relief
Dopth informed that an interim relief of Rs 1 lakh to all family members of the trapped miners will be released soon.
“I will meet the family members of the three local victims from Lumthari village who were also trapped inside the coal mine and hand over to them the interim relief amount,” he said.
He also hoped that family members of all victims from Garo Hills and Assam would come forward.
However, Rajbala MLA Azad Aman said the relief offered to the labourers was insufficient. “I have met the chief minister. I have also written to the chief secretary and sought help from the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission demanding relief payment to the affected families,” he added.
Confession of miner
Meanwhile, the man who was arrested in connection with the mine mishap admitted that he was the owner of the illegal quarry, police said on Sunday.
Krip Chullet, who was arrested on December 14, admitted during interrogation that the mine belonged to him, East Jaintia Hills SP Sylvester Nongtnger said and added that two mine managers, Mohesh and James Sukhlain, are still on the run.
“Sukhlain facilitates mine operations while Mohesh is the person responsible for bringing labourers from West Garo Hills district and Assam,” the SP said.
Earlier, the police had said Chullet was involved in hiring labourers and sending them down the shaft. (With inputs from PTI)
