Tinsukia, Sept 20: Patkai hills, situated at Ledo-Margherita area of eastern Assam Tinsukia district has recently become a grave for illegal coal miners after dozens of death during miming has been reported.
On Tuesday, two bodies of miners were recovered from the Tipong Kaliari Chali area under the Lekhapani police station.
The coal miners died after gas exploded at an illegal coal mining site in the Tipong Kaliari Chali area of eastern Assam Tinsukia district on Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Raju Rabha and Dhreswar Kachari. Raju hails from Meghalaya, while Dhreswar hails from Assam’s Goalpara district.
Sources said that they were engaged in the illegal extraction of coal from the mines when the sabotage occurred. Along with them, other coal miners were also injured and admitted to the hospital.
“They were engaged in the illegal extraction of coal in the Tipong Kaliari Chali area. They were working for Vikram and Janaik Jaiswal, coal mafias,” said the source.
This month, three deaths were reported while working at illegal coal mines.
“In the recent past, many deaths were reported from coal mining sites in Ledo-Margherita. But the police have failed to take any necessary action against the coal mafias, who are running a parallel government with associations with corrupt politicians,” said a source.
Illegal coal mining practises have been unabated in the Margherita-Ledo area of Tinsukia district, but despite knowing everything, the district administration has become a mute spectator.
In June this year, two bodies of coal miners who were killed in an illegal rat-hole mine at Ledo were recovered.
Their bodies were recovered from a in mine at the Molo Pahar area under the Ledo police station in the Tinsukia district.
One of the two killed miners has been identified as Nayan Phukan, a resident of the Itakhuli area of Ledo.
The Tirap, Tikak, Bargolai, Namdang, and Tipong collieries under NEC Coal India Ltd. Margherita have witnessed several deaths of coal miners, including individuals like Pranjal Moran, Nayan Phukan, Dipen Aley, Rupam Das, Kartik Gowala, Bijay Munda, and many more who died during the extraction of coal from rat-hole mining.
The coal mafias of Margherita-Ledo are engaging many workers to extract coal from the coal mining site. Rat-hole mining has been mushrooming in the area, but despite repeated requests from environmentalists, the authorities concerned have failed to act.
“The coal smugglers are destroying the Patkai mountain. Illegal extraction of coal has now become a toy game for the smugglers. On the other hand, the authorities, after knowing everything, turned a blind eye to the incidents,” said a source.
The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole coal mining in April 2024, but the order hasn’t been completely enforced.
Also read: Attackers smash girl’s face with rock; threaten to slit her throat in Mairang
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