Risky bet: Mining fatalities decline, but safety remains elusive

In recent years, the number of fatalities has come down as the government has cracked down on illegal rat hole mining

As rescuers raced against time to save six workers trapped in a flooded rat hole mine in Assam, the tragic incident, as it unfolds, has once again trained the spotlight on mining related accidents in the country. 

Although the count of such incidents has come down over the years after government crackdown, foot hills of northeast and other mine rich states are still dotted with rat holes in which miners crawl and descend as much as 200 to 300 feet to extract coal.

But not every pickaxe strike at coal seam results in coal extraction. It sometimes leads to groundwater bursting, resulting in Assam-like tragedies. 

In 2018, at least 10 miners had died in Meghalaya in a similar way, while digging coal from a rat hole mine. Last year, six labourers died after a fire broke out in a rat hole mine in Nagaland. 

With wages as high as Rs 2,500 a day, rat hole mining remains a lucrative bet for the workers who otherwise earn as little as Rs 400 a day. In some cases, children are also hired as their size helps them dive deep into the mines. 

While rat hole mining remains a risky bet, organised mining has seen fewer accidents. The main reason is increased mechanisation and better safety measures. However, absolute safety is yet to be achieved as serious accidents continue to happen. 

 

Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy recently told the Parliament that the accidents taking place in coal mines are higher than those taking place in non-coal mines in the country. 

“The coal mining industry has been associated with significant risks to workers due to hazardous conditions inherent in the mining process,” the minister said. 

Though he added, “All coal mines are governed by the Mines Act, 1952 and rules and regulations framed thereunder. Mines Act, 1952 is administered by DGMS by way of development of suitable legislations, rules, regulations, standard and guidelines, inspections, investigation of accidents, awareness activities, formulating risk management plans.” 

The Directorate General of Mines Safety under the ministry of labour is the responsible body to ensure implementation of safety and precaution rules under the Mines Act. 

In a recent corporate message, Ujjawal Tah, Chief Inspector of Mines, DGMS said, “Though there is phenomenal growth in mineral production and gross value added into the GDP, substantial achievements have been made in improving working conditions, conservation and mine safety reducing number of accidents, fatality rates (per 1000 persons employed from 1.20 during the decade 1911-1920 to 0.19 during the decade 2011-2020 in coal mines and from 0.73 to 0.24 in non-coal mines for the corresponding period) and saving loss of life and properties.”