Assam CM advocates Hindi as unifying lang amidst resistance in South
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday claimed that Hindi is not only just the official language of the country, but also the language of heart of every Indian.
Despite the ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), rat-hole coal mining continues unabated in Assam, particularly in the central part of the state.
The Assam government, in a written reply to the Assembly on March 5, admitted that at least 263 illegal rat-hole mines have been detected under the jurisdiction of two autonomous councils.
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State Mines and Minerals Minister Kaushik Rai, responding to a question from Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi, revealed that 248 such mines were found in the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) area, comprising Dima Hasao, while 15 were detected in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, which governs East and West Karbi Anglong districts.
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Additionally, illegal coal extraction has been reported in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Charaideo districts, though no specific details were shared.
The Assam government further disclosed that 25,631.98 tonnes of illegally mined and transported coal have been seized in the last three years, and a legal process for auctioning the confiscated coal is underway.
The state claims to have formed a monitoring committee, led by the Director General of Police (DGP), to curb illegal mining activities.
Rat-hole mining, an unscientific method of coal extraction, was banned by the NGT in 2014 due to its severe environmental and safety concerns. The practice, however, remains rampant in Assam and Meghalaya, with reports of powerful syndicates controlling the trade. The method involves digging narrow tunnels through which miners, often underage labourers, extract coal in dangerous conditions.
On January 6, a tragic incident at the 3-Kilo Coal Quarry in the Umrangso area of Dima Hasao highlighted the perils of this illegal industry. Nine labourers were trapped inside a flooded rat-hole mine, and their partially decomposed bodies were recovered days later. The disaster underscored the unchecked operations of illegal coal mafias in the region.
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