Dibrugarh, Jan 18: In a joint operation, authorities sealed 13 illegal rat-hole mines from the Bittu Pahar area of Namdang colliery in Tinsukia district on Saturday.
The operation began at 8:30 am and involved officials including Margherita Sub-Divisional Executive Magistrate Pritom Gogoi, Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Gurav, and representatives from North Eastern Coalfields and Assam Power Distribution Company Limited.
Three miners were caught red-handed extracting coal and were detained by the police. Additionally, illegal power connections to the mines were dismantled, and electrical equipment was confiscated.
“Three miners were caught red-handed extracting coal from rat-hole mines and have been detained. We also dismantled illegal electrical connections and seized equipment during the raid. Such operations will continue,” said Executive Magistrate Pritom Gogoi.
The crackdown follows a January 16 Assam Cabinet decision to permanently close all rat-hole mines in the state’s North Eastern Coalfields and implement a standard operating procedure (SOP). The decision was prompted by a recent tragedy at an illegal rat-hole mine in Umrangso, Dima Hasao, where several miners lost their lives.
Despite long-standing opposition from concerned citizens, illegal coal mining continues to plague the region. Activist Ranjan Chowdhury recently highlighted the issue on his YouTube channel, alleging that organized crime syndicates, supported by corrupt politicians, are behind the illegal operations.
“Illegal coal mining is an organized crime. Coal mafias operate with impunity, aided by corrupt politicians. Trucks loaded with illegal coal ply the highways daily, but no one dares to stop them,” Chowdhury alleged.
