SHILLONG: If not for the directive of the Supreme Court, the Government of Meghalaya would have stopped the rescue operation for the miners a long time ago. Today is the 69th day since the tragedy that struck the unfortunate miners on December 13 last year.
Senior advocate for the petitioner Aditya N Prasad had on February 8 pointed to the apex court that the problem of dewatering the mine still persists. He also informed that Kirloskar has sufficient number of 100 HP capacity pumps and is ready to supply the same.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had accepted the suggestions and submitted that the pumps would be airlifted to the nearest point of the site with the help of the army authorities and that the same should be installed at the earliest. Sources inform that the pumps are yet to be picked up.
Advocate for Coal India Ltd, Karan Singh Bhati, was asked to file a status report on its behalf. The apex court had also ordered that since the mining is happening illegally, mine owners Krip Chulet and Jrin Chulet be impleaded in this case as respondents.
The Advocate General of Meghalaya and the advocate for Coal India have been asked to furnish details of other illegal mines operating in the area.
It may be mentioned that experts including the hydrologist had suggested that more pumps of high capacity were required to dewater the mines continuously and Kirloskar had kept the pumps ready.
However, a fortnight after the order dated Feb 8, nothing has moved on the ground at Ksan, it is learnt. Further it is also learnt that the power supply is inadequate for the pumps.
The matter is coming up for hearing on Friday.
Meanwhile, Capt Gaurav Singh, senior commander of Indian Navy Divers who had been supervising the rescue operations since January 4 and had returned to Vishakhapatnam briefly, has come back to Ksan on February 19.
