Guwahati, Feb 7: A deepening unemployment crisis and decades of stalled industrial development in Assam’s Barak Valley are forcing hundreds of young men to risk their lives in hazardous and often illegal coal mines across the border in Meghalaya.
With few viable livelihood options in Cachar, Sribhumi and Hailakandi districts, daily-wage workers are migrating to Meghalaya to work in coal mines, stone quarries, brick kilns, construction sites and small factories—often without contracts, safety gear or legal protection.
Despite being aware of the dangers, many say they have little choice.
“We earn around Rs 300 a day here, which is not enough to support our families. So we have to go to Meghalaya for coal mining work. It is very dangerous, but we have to do it to survive,” said a worker from Barak Valley.
Activists describe the migration as distress-driven, pointing to prolonged economic stagnation in the Valley. The closure of the Cachar Paper Mill at Panchgram, the shutdown of the Chargola Sugar Mill, and the absence of major new industries have sharply reduced formal employment opportunities. Agriculture, hit by poor irrigation, small landholdings and recurring floods, has failed to provide sustainable income.
Hydrocarbon exploration has not generated large-scale jobs, while the proposed multimodal logistics park in Silchar, announced in 2020, is yet to materialise.
“Meghalaya’s demand for cheap, unskilled labour has become a key pull factor, particularly in illegal rat-hole coal mines in East Jaintia Hills. Despite the National Green Tribunal ban, unscientific mining continues, with migrant workers entering narrow, waterlogged tunnels,” said an activist.
Observers warn that unless structural economic issues in Barak Valley are addressed, the cycle of distress migration into unsafe and illegal mining operations is likely to continue.
Also Read: Meghalaya coal mine blast: Six workers from Cachar among 19 dead, two critical at SMCH
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