Dibrugarh: An illegal rat-hole mine that caught fire in the Margherita area of Assam’s Tinsukia district on Wednesday continues to burn as authorities have failed to douse the blaze.
Officials said that the fire broke out at the rat hole mine at Tipong Colliery after a large quantity of methane gas was seen leaking from the mine. It is suspected that the methane gas leaked while illegal mining activities were underway deep inside the coal mine.
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The methane that is formed as a byproduct of the coal formation is highly inflammable and it is speculated that the scorching weather may have triggered the fire.
“We are trying to douse the fire by putting soil on the entrance of the mine. But there is high pressure of the gas inside. We are hopeful that it will be doused soon,” an official said.
Sources said that rat-hole mining has been going on in the area illegally for the last several years. Besides causing revenue loss and environmental degradation, the loss of lives of coal miners has been reported from these coal mines.
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Environmentalist raises concerns
Devojit Moran, an environmentalist, has raised concerns about the fire and its impact on the environment. He said that the fire has greatly affected the biodiversity of the area.
“The rat-hole mining has been going on in the area for years and it has destroyed the natural habitat of many animals. The fire has only worsened the situation,” Moran said.
He urged the authorities to take immediate steps to douse the fire and prevent further damage to the environment.
Moran also called on environmentalists, social activists, and students’ organizations to raise their voices against illegal rat hole mining. He said that the time has come to put an end to this illegal and harmful practice.
The fire in the rat hole mine in Margherita is a reminder of the dangers of this illegal.