Rat Hole Mining in the North-East: Causes and Solutions
Why in the news
Floods in a coal mine at Umrangso, Assam trapped nine miners and killed at least four. Despite bans and court orders, weak enforcement lets coal mafias and political interests keep illegal rat hole mining going.
Key facts
- Origin of the practice: demand from West Bengal and Bangladesh grew coal mining in Assam and Meghalaya from the 1980s; rugged terrain made machines impractical.
- Two forms: scraping coal from sloping hillsides, and pits up to 400 feet deep with side tunnels.
- Dangers: highly hazardous for miners and damaging to the environment.
- Exploitation: indebted migrant workers are brought by Sardars (labour agents); children are trafficked because they fit small tunnels; about 26,000 mine entrances are reported.
- Legal position: NGT ban in 2014, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2019.
- Loopholes: Meghalaya sought exemption under Sixth Schedule, Paragraph 12A(b) (still pending) and its Assembly passed a resolution; Assam lacks strong state laws.
- Court action: Gauhati High Court took suo motu notice of the Umrangso case; inaction on illegal mining is said to violate Article 21.
Proposed solutions
| Area | Measure |
|---|---|
| Law | Amend the MMDR Act to criminalise rat hole mining under Section 21; state-specific rules under Section 23C; protect whistleblowers |
| Technology | Satellite tracking; extend the Mining Surveillance System (MSS), successful in Karnataka, to the North-East |
| Livelihoods | Eco-tourism, sustainable forestry, skill jobs; vocational training for affected workers |
| Community role | Apply the Forest Rights Act, 2006, requiring local consent before mining; empower village councils and NGOs to report violations |
Exam angle
- Bodies and dates: NGT (2014), Supreme Court (2019); Sixth Schedule exemption sought by Meghalaya.
- Tools: Mining Surveillance System; Acts: MMDR Act, Forest Rights Act, 2006.