40 days on, hope fades for trapped Umrangso miners as economic crisis deepens

Haflong, Feb 17: Despite continuous dewatering efforts at the Kalamati quarry near Umrangso for the past 40 days, five trapped persons still remain unaccounted for.

The dedicated rescue teams have been working tirelessly, leaving no stone unturned in their mission to ensure a successful rescue. However, the relatives of the trapped workers are beginning to lose hope, as a long time has passed without significant progress.

In the meantime, eleven individuals have been arrested in connection with the rat-bole mining tragedy. There is wide spread public opinion that rat hole coal mining in Umrangso was rampant under the very nose of the Assam Mines and Minerals Corporation authority. Many find it hard to believe that such activities could take place without the knowledge of the administration.

Sources indicate that after 40 days of dewatering, the water level has decreased to 1.5 metres. However, rescuers are hesitant to enter the rat-hole mine due to inadequate safety gear.

There have been reports that the Umrangso coal mine tragedy has been termed as a natural disaster, but many believe that it should be classified as an industrial disaster resulting from human error. Critics argue that the Assam Mines and Minerals Corporation authority should bear responsibility but it has instead remained silent, citing a short age of mining specialists.

The lack of active environmental activists in Dima Hasao is also a matter of concern, with many attributing the destruction of the environment to haphazard 'development',

Most officials have been reluctant to provide information on the ongoing government efforts. As a result, the local people fear that any investigation or delivery of justice will remain a distant dream.

The economic impact of the tragedy on the people of Umrangso, known as the only industrial township in Dima Hasao, has been severe. Many residents, who previously owned multiple vehicles, have been compelled to sell them due to mounting expenses.

Even as the government has started the closure of all rat-hole mines, thousands of people have lost their livelihoods, pushing them towards uncertainty.

The coal mine tragedy that struck this humble town did not just claim lives it irrevocably changed the fabric of a once-thriving community.

In the wake of the disaster, the government initiated a swift crackdown by cloning all rat-hole mines a practice deemed hazardous, yet serving as a lifeline for thousands of people. With the mines. sealed, the air, once laden with the soot of industrial activity, hangs heavy with an oppressive silence. Families who had relied on these mines for generations were left adrift, their futures as murky as-coal-dusted memories.

The deserted Tin Kilo Green market

The Tin Kilo Green market, a bustling hub, has faced the brunt of this new reality, Stalls that brimmed with fresh produce now stand bare, their vendors peering into the stark unknown. Businesses that had thrived on the spending power of miners saw their incomes plummet, mirroring the void left by the closed quarries.

Assam Quarry, once a symbol of the region's industrious spirit, mirrors this desolation. Where once existed a stream of labourers with tools in hand, there now lingers an uneasy stillness. The livelihoods that intertwined with the rhythm of the mines have been severed, leaving a community grappling with apprehension.

It is also learnt that more than 60 families from Dima Hasao have lost their livelihood and their future has become filled with uncertainty. Traders are reluctant to give them monthly ration on credit because of their unsteady economic condition. The students/children of these families are the worst sufferers as their parents have lost their years-old livelihood following the closure of rat-hole mining, Moreover, over the years, these workers became skilled only in extracting coal and did not pick up any other skill.

Consequently, they are now useless for other works and it has become very difficult for them to get daily work.

Residents of Tin Kilo Green market maintained that business has dropped drastically because a huge number of mine workers from outside Dima Hasao has left the place following the closure of the mines.