The recovery of one body, identified as Ganga Bahadur Srestho from Nepal, presented difficulties for rescue efforts at a flooded coal mine in the Dima Hasao region of Assam on Wednesday. There are still eight stranded miners, and their chances of surviving are dwindling. The miners have been being rescued by a combined team of the Army, Navy, and emergency response agencies. However, the endeavor has been made more difficult by the mine’s murky and corrosive water.
Special DGP Harmeet Singh emphasized the challenges in emptying the mine, pointing out that there appears to be an underground link to another water supply, which keeps the water level high. No more remains or evidence of the trapped miners have been found, despite the use of sophisticated equipment, such as a remote underwater vehicle controlled by the Navy. Political outrage has been generated by the occurrence, with focus shifting to the mine’s legality. The BJP-led state administration and the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council came under fire after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma admitted signs of illicit mining.
Gaurav Gogoi, the head of the opposition, criticized the National Green Tribunal’s prohibition on unlawful rat-hole mining in Assam and called for an investigation. Concerns regarding safety and enforcement are raised by the accident, which highlights persistent problems with unregulated mining activities in the area. The Army, Navy, and NDRF rescuers are searching nonstop. A high-level investigation into the unlawful rat-hole mining that has been outlawed by the Supreme Court and NGT has been urged by political parties, including the Congress and the Asom Jatiya Parishad.
