Guwahati: The death of a migrant labourer from Assam at an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district has once again brought the spotlight on the persistent practice of banned rat-hole coal mining in the state.
The victim has been identified as 48-year-old Mosaid Ali, a resident of Jamuna Moudanga in Assam’s Hojai district. According to the police, Ali collapsed while working at an illegal mining site in Umthe village on January 14. He was immediately taken to the Sutnga Community Health Centre, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Confirming the incident, East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police Vikash Kumar said the mine was sealed soon after the death, and an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances that led to the labourer’s collapse. Authorities are examining whether unsafe working conditions inside the illegal mine contributed to the fatality.
The incident has also drawn the attention of Justice B.P. Katakey, a retired judge appointed by the Meghalaya High Court to oversee and monitor illegal coal mining and transportation in the state. Justice Katakey has sought a detailed report from the district police, underlining the continued judicial oversight of illegal mining activities in Meghalaya.
Social activist Agnes Kharshiing said the death highlights the unchecked continuation of illegal coal mining despite the National Green Tribunal’s 2014 ban on rat-hole mining. She said recurring accidents and fatalities point to serious gaps in enforcement and monitoring at the ground level.
This is not the first such case in recent weeks. Earlier, Meghalaya Police submitted a report to the Justice Katakey monitoring committee regarding an alleged explosion linked to illegal coal mining in East Jaintia Hills district that reportedly claimed two lives. The blast is believed to have occurred on December 23 in Thangsko village, where the victims allegedly suffered severe burn injuries, possibly due to an explosion inside an illegal mine. Several others were also reported to have been seriously injured.
However, SP Vikash Kumar said police investigations could not conclusively establish the exact location or cause of death of the victims in that case. He added that the only lead available was a “dying declaration” made by one of the injured persons. Police also confirmed the death of one individual based on a video that had gone viral on social media.
Meanwhile, taking suo motu cognisance of media reports, the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC) sought a detailed response from the state government on the reported deaths. In a notice issued to the Chief Secretary on January 6, the Commission directed the government to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a comprehensive report within one month.
Justice Katakey’s monitoring committee had earlier also instructed the Meghalaya Police to file a detailed report on the alleged deaths of the two miners, reinforcing concerns over the continued prevalence of illegal coal mining in the region despite longstanding legal prohibitions.