The Assam government has detected 220 rat-hole coal mines in the Dima Hasao district’s Umrangso area, including the ill-fated one where nine miners were trapped on January 6.
The State government has also ordered a judicial probe into the mishap that has claimed the lives of four of the missing miners, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said after a Cabinet meeting in Morigaon on Thursday (January 16, 2025).
Morigaon is about 80 km east of Guwahati.
Mr. Sarma said experts from the Geological Survey of India, Coal India Limited, Oil India Limited, National Disaster Response Force, and Indian Navy initially estimated 14 crore litres of water in the flooded mine.
“The mine still has 11 crore litres of water and I have been told by officers at the site that it may take up to 60 days to pump out the water at the current speed. The Cabinet approved continuous dewatering in the presence of Army engineers till we reach a logical conclusion,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the authorities concerned found 220 mines in the area after a post-disaster survey.
“We will try to find out their origins based on satellite imageries. The Mines and Minerals Department will take steps to close all the rat-hole mines in consultation with the central agencies,” he said.
He said a judicial enquiry commission headed by Anima Hazarika, a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court, would be instituted to examine the coal mine tragedy and fix responsibility against officers, individuals, and institutions responsible. The panel would be given three months to submit its report.
Mr. Sarma said a standard operating procedure would be framed to enforce a blanket ban on rat-hole mining in the State. He further said a special investigation team (SIT) would be constituted to probe the entire incident based on the first information report registered soon after the January 6 incident.
The police arrested Punish Nunisa, who allegedly operated the coal mine illegally, and Hannan Laskar, a local financier who reportedly invested in the operations, based on this FIR.
The SIT would be monitored by the judicial probe panel, the Chief Minister said.
“The possibility of the five trapped miners being alive after 10 days since the incident appears remote,” Mr. Sarma said, announcing an ex-gratia of ₹10 lakh each for the next of kin of the four deceased.
“The next of kin of the other five persons will also be provided ₹10 lakh each as compensation whether they are found dead or alive,” he said.
