Coal India, Assam govt seal 13 rat-holes, arrest four in Tinsukia district

The joint operation by Coal India Limited (CIL) and the Assam government to seal illegal rat-holes follows a recent mishap in which nine labourers were trapped inside a coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, where the water level inside the quarry rose to nearly 100 feet. Four bodies have been recovered so far.

“The 13 rat-holes were initially identified by the police and other officials. On Saturday morning, we began sealing them. Four workers were arrested. An excavator and other equipment were seized,” said Pritam Gogoi, executive magistrate of Tinsukia.

The rat-holes were found in the Margherita area of Tinsukia, where illegal miners were using an abandoned Coal India office. “They were using this office and had even managed to get an electricity connection. We have sealed the office and destroyed the rat-holes. The arrested individuals have been handed over to the police, and further investigation is underway,” he added.

The police have not yet revealed the identities of the arrested individuals.

On January 16, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that more than 220 illegal rat-holes were found in Dima Hasao’s Umrangso, and the government plans to fill all of them.

Locals in Tinsukia have said that illegal mining activities in the Margherita-Ledo area are not new and have been ongoing for many years. “Trucks loaded with illegally mined coal frequently travel along highways, and despite several appeals from locals, police and administrative officials have failed to intervene or take action,” said Ranjan Chowdhury, a local resident.

Superintendent of police (SP) Tinsukia, Gaurav Abhijit Dilip, said the operation was conducted with the support of Coal India, with representatives from North Eastern Coalfields and Assam Power Distribution Company Limited also participating.