A CORRESPONDENT
DIPHU: The memory of the January 6 tragedy, where eight workers perished in a rat-hole mining accident in Umrangso, continues to haunt Assam. The incident sparked widespread protests, with demands to shut down illegal rat-hole and open-cast coal mining operations in Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya. Allegations surfaced that political leaders and police officials, reportedly receiving monthly commissions from coal syndicates, were complicit in these activities. While the Chief Minister promised a judicial inquiry, the people of the hills remain skeptical about when or if the report will be released and whether the true culprits will face justice.
Despite the public outcry, no high-profile figures have been held accountable and suspected perpetrators reportedly roam freely, possibly shielded by covert agreements. Following media exposes starting January 22, which highlighted the coal mining and supply networks in Karbi Anglong, mining operations were temporarily suspended. Both rat-hole and open-cast mining remain officially halted.
However, a new crisis has emerged from the thousands of tons of stockpiled low-grade (C-grade) coal in areas like Langmili and Disobai. Prone to spontaneous combustion, these coal heaps are burning uncontrollably, posing severe health and environmental risks. In Langmili, just 500 meters from the national highway under Bokolia Police Station, and in Disobai’s Chainilangso village, coal fires burn day and night, making life unbearable for residents of at least ten nearby villages. Villagers, particularly children and the elderly, are grappling with respiratory issues, bronchitis, eye irritation, skin diseases, and frequent fevers. Contaminated river water from coal pit runoff has caused mass fish deaths and skin irritations among those who bathe in it. Agricultural lands are turning barren and even betel nut trees have died.
Thomas Timung, Village Headman of Langmili and Chainilangso, described the situation as a struggle for survival. These villages fall under the Singhason constituency of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, represented by Amarsing Tisso, who is also the sitting MP of Diphu Lok Sabha. Despite the crisis, Tisso has neither visited the affected areas nor addressed the villagers’ plight. The villagers, through this report, have urged their representative to act swiftly to prevent future coal depots in their areas.
Also Read: Waterlogging in Dibrugarh: An unending saga
Also Watch: