The Meghalaya Cabinet during its crucial meeting on Wednesday deliberated at length the ongoing rescue operations to trace the 15 coal miners, who are trapped inside an illegal flooded coal mine at Ksan in East Jaintia Hills district for more than a month now.
State Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, who also handles the Mining and Geology Department, and Home Minister, James Sangma, apprised the Cabinet about the latest situation as far as the rescue operations are concerned at the mishap site, reports Shillong Today.
Later interacting with media persons, Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynosng disclosed that the rescue operation is on till date and the concerned authorities will take a final call in consultation with the district administration in the coming days.
When questioned about the probable time as to when the rescue operation may be called off, Tynosng said that as of now, the experts on their job and nothing concrete can be said. It all depends on the stakeholders engaged in the herculean rescue operation and the experts engaged in the job.
Even the Central Government and the Supreme Court are involved in the entire process and a call from them is also needed to call off the rescue work, the state Deputy Chief Minister further added.
Notably, the apex court had earlier issued directive of taking out the trapped miners ‘dead or alive’.
Meanwhile, the Coal India Limited has informed the district administration that the water level at the main shaft where the 15 miners are trapped and the abandoned shafts remained the same despite several million gallon of water has been pumped out.
The Indian Navy lowered the underwater remotely operated vehicle at the main shaft but failed to capture any of the trapped miners.
Scientists from Hyderabad also conducted the micro gravimetric measurement and differential position profile system to identify the seepage of water in the main shaft.
Meanwhile, experts from the Chennai-based Plenys technology continue to conduct the sonar mapping of the shaft and to identify the rat-hole tunnel.