Water Level at Rat-Hole Coal Mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao District Improves

• Water level at a flooded rat-hole coal mine in Dima Hasao district rose by seven meters, indicating the presence of eight trapped miners.

• The body of one miner, a Nepali resident, was retrieved on January 8.

• Police detained a mining operations financier from 3 Kilo, the nearest major habitation from the mine.

• The dewatering process of three abandoned mines within 500 meters of the mine helped lower the water level.

• The three mines, believed to have been abandoned before the National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole coal mining in April 2014.

• The dewatering process is expected to accelerate once a high-capacity pump from Coal India Limited begins operations.

• Deep divers, the Indian Navy, and other personnel are engaged in the rescue mission.

• Hannan Laskar, who allegedly invested in the mining operations, was detained.

• Opposition political parties claim there are about 200 illegal rat-hole mines in the area.