HC acts on Umrangso crisis, seeks govt report on illegal coal mining measures by Feb 7
Advocate General Devajit Saikia assured the court that details would be submitted by the deadline set for the affidavit
Guwahati, Jan 28: The Gauhati High Court has directed the government to file a detailed affidavit by February 7, regarding the recent illegal coal mining crisis in Umrangso's Tin Kilo area in Dima Hasao.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kaushik Goswami, took suo-motu cognisance of the issue based on media reports and directed the government to submit a status report detailing the steps taken to curb rat-hole mining across the state.
Appearing before the court, Advocate General Devajit Saikia informed that the state had set up a one-man commission led by retired Justice Anima Hazarika to investigate the issue. He assured the court that further details would be submitted by the deadline set for the affidavit.
The Umrangso coal mining crisis gained widespread attention after nine miners were reported trapped in a rat-hole mine in Tin Kilo on January 6.
The incident prompted immediate action from the Indian Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and state authorities, who launched an extensive rescue operation.
Despite rising water levels inside the hole complicating the efforts, four bodies have been recovered so far, and dewatering of the mine is still ongoing as of Tuesday.
In response to the crisis, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced a judicial inquiry on January 16, led by Justice Hazarika.
Additionally, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe the incident, with 11 people arrested in connection with the case. Investigations are ongoing based on the FIRs filed.
Meanwhile, authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal coal mines across the state. On January 18, 13 illegal coal mines were sealed in the Margherita region as part of efforts to control illegal mining practices.
The state government’s actions and the ongoing judicial inquiry are expected to shed light on the scale of the problem and the measures needed to address it.