OUR Correspondent
Haflong: Following the Umrangso coal mine disaster, the government began seizing all rat-hole mines, leaving thousands of people in a state of insecurity as they lost their means of subsistence. In addition to taking lives, the coal mine disaster that befell this humble town permanently altered the makeup of a once-thriving neighbourhood.
Following the tragedy, the authorities launched an immediate crackdown, closing all rat-hole mines, a dangerous but life-saving measure for thousands of people. Once filled with the soot of industry, the air now hung heavy with an oppressive hush as the mines were sealed. Families who had depended on these mines for many decades were abandoned, their prospects as hazy as memories smeared with coal.
The Tin Kilo and Green markets, two bustling hubs, faced the brunt of this new reality. Stalls that brimmed with fresh produce now stood bare, their vendors peering into the dark. Businesses that had thrived on the spending power of miners saw their incomes plummet, echoing the void left by the closed quarries.
Assam Quarry, once a symbol of the region’s industrious spirit, mirrored this desolation. Where there was once a stream of labourers, tools in hand, now lingered an uneasy stillness. The livelihoods that intertwined with the rhythm of the mines were severed, leaving a community grappling with uncertainty.
It is also learnt that, more than 60 families from Dima Hasao itself have lost their livelihood and their future has been filled with uncertainty. Traders are reluctant to give them monthly ration on credit because of their uncertain economy. The students/children of these families are the worst sufferer as their parents have lost their several years old livelihood following the closure of the mining. Moreover, over the years these workers became skilled only in extracting coal, they are now useless in other works. It has become very difficult for them to get daily job.
Resident of Tin Kilo green market maintained that the business has come down drastically since a huge number of mine workers from outside Dima Hasao have left the place following the shutdown of the mines. They urged the close down of all the illegal mines but not the legal ones.
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