GUWAHATI, Jan. 16: The Assam government has decided to institute a judicial inquiry commission, headed by former Judge of Gauhati High Court, Justice Anima Hazarika, to probe the coal mine mishap at Umrangso in Dima Hasao district.
“The inquiry commission will investigate the matter thoroughly and identify the officers, individuals and institutions responsible for the lapses that allowed illegal mining to proliferate in the region. A report will be submitted to the state government by the inquiry commission in three months’ time,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed mediapersons after chairing an outstation Cabinet meeting in Morigaon on Thursday.
The chief minister also informed that a special investigation team (SIT) would be constituted to inquire into the incident on the basis of the FIR already registered on the matter. “The SIT will be monitored by Justice Anima Hazarika,” he said.
“Besides, the mines and minerals department will take steps to identify and close all existing rat-hole mines in the state, wherever they are found, in consultation with the central agencies such as the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited,” the chief minister said.
“A standard operating procedure (SOP) will also be framed regarding effecting a blanket ban on rat-hole mining in the state,” he said.
Notably, Sarma informed that as many as 220 coal mines have been detected in the Umrangso region, raising concerns about the environmental and legal implications of unregulated mining in the region.
“Upon examination, we found there are around 220 rat hole mines in that region. Hence, we need to take resort to satellite imagery to monitor and study how they emerged over a period of time. The revenue department has been entrusted with the work of gathering more data on such mines with the help of satellite data,” he said.
The announcement comes almost ten days after at least nine miners were trapped inside a deep, flooded coal mine in the Tin Kilo area of Umrangso, with the bodies of four miners recovered so far amidst intensive search operations and dewatering of the mine by multiple agencies.
Notably, sources said on Thursday that the rescue operations were being hampered by “seepage of water from underground streams,” which is slowing down the dewatering process.
Ex gratia
The state Cabinet also decided to offer Rs 10 lakh as ex gratia to the next of kin of the four deceased persons.
“The next of kin of the other five persons, who are yet to be found, will also be provided Rs 10 lakh as compensation, whether they are found alive or dead,” the chief minister announced, even as he said that the chances of finding the trapped miners alive now were very grim as 10 days had passed since the mishap occurred.