Rat-hole mining: why it persists despite its risks

 • Rat-hole mining, a method of extracting coal from flooded coal mines, is a significant issue in Assam, India.

• The Supreme Court of India has raised concerns about the legality of rat-hole mines in northeast hills, citing the loss of lives due to illegal mining.

• Rat-hole mining involves digging tunnels 3-4 feet deep, allowing workers to crawl in and out, and extracting coal with pickaxes.

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining in 2014 due to the government’s limited control over the land in Meghalaya, where the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act of 1973 does not apply.

• Unregulated mining led to land degradation, deforestation, and water pollution, with at least two rivers becoming too acidic to sustain aquatic life.

• The NGT banned rat-hole mining in 2014 due to numerous cases of water flooding into mining areas during the rainy season, resulting in many deaths.

• Environmentalists and human rights activists have been advocating for the ban, with reports estimating that about 70,000 children were employed in such mines.

• The NGT ban came a year later, following pressure from the National Human Rights Commission to resume mining legally.

• The State has an estimated reserve of 576.48 million tonnes of low-ash, high-sulphur coal belonging to the Eocene age.

• In May 2023, the Coal Ministry approved mining leases for four of the 17 prospective license applicants, aiming for’scientific’ mining ensuring minimal environmental impact through sustainable and legally compliant extraction procedures.