Five miners remain trapped for the past 12 days inside an illegal coal mine at Krem Ule in Umpleng, East Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya.
Here's revisiting the very similar, December 2018 tragedy, and how very little has changed since.
news18.com/news/india/as-…
Here's revisiting the very similar, December 2018 tragedy, and how very little has changed since.
news18.com/news/india/as-…
In December 2018, News18 traveled to East Jaintia Hills, where only broken egg shells, dirty old slippers, empty plastic bottles and a layer of black coal were the only reminders of the trapped miners who would never see the light of the day again.
news18.com/news/immersive…
news18.com/news/immersive…
Two weeks after they remained trapped, News18 witnessed the ecological impact: the areas where coal mining has been rampant is left with dead rivers and barely any ecology.
news18.com/news/immersive…
news18.com/news/immersive…
A 'rat hole' is a term used in coal mining. It involves digging of small tunnels, usually only 3-4 feet high. The name is because of the tiny size of the holes.
news18.com/news/immersive…
news18.com/news/immersive…
The National Green Tribunal banned 'rat hole' coal mines in 2014, and retained the ban in 2015, on grounds of it being unscientific and unsafe for workers.
However, in large parts of Meghalaya 'rat holes' are still operative.
news18.com/news/immersive…
However, in large parts of Meghalaya 'rat holes' are still operative.
news18.com/news/immersive…
"They were promised Rs 1,000 for each day of work. They didn't get a penny and they didn't come back."
The family of the then-trapped labourers had told @adrijabose in 2018.
news18.com/news/immersive…
The family of the then-trapped labourers had told @adrijabose in 2018.
news18.com/news/immersive…
@adrijabose While most of the coal-mine owners and dealers who handle the day-to-day work are locals, the labourers who risk their lives and enter the rat holes were usually outsiders — from Nepal, Bangladesh, Assam and the outskirts of the state.
news18.com/news/immersive…
news18.com/news/immersive…
@adrijabose Meghalaya Police’s online records reveal that from April 2014 to November 2018, there were at least 477 reported violations of the NGT orders.
news18.com/news/immersive…
news18.com/news/immersive…
@adrijabose In 2018, only three bodies were retrieved from inside the mine in a joint effort by the Navy, Army, and the NDRF.
Seven months after a futile search, the operation was called off.
news18.com/news/india/as-…
Seven months after a futile search, the operation was called off.
news18.com/news/india/as-…
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