No light at the end of the tunnel for Meghalaya miners

It is exactly a month after 15 miners have been trapped in an illegal rat hole coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district. The chances of their rescue continue to remain bleak as dewatering the mine has so far been a futile effort.

Scientists and top notch agencies, known for their work in underground mines of the country, Sunday arrived in the East Jaintia Hills to step up efforts to rescue the miners in what is perhaps the country's longest rescue mission.

Operation spokesperson R Susngi told PTI that a team headed by a scientist and comprising experts from Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (NGIR-CSIR) and Gravity and Magnetic Group, was at the spot.

Besides, a team each from the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Chennai-based Remotely Operatated Vehicle (ROV) have arrived to step up the mission, he said.

Till date, the dewatering of the 370-foot-deep mine where the miners are trapped has proved futile as over