Supreme Court Allows Closure of Salvage Operation

A Correspondent

SHILLONG: The Supreme Court on Friday allowed closing the operation to retrieve the miners who were trapped in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district.

State Advocate General, Amit Kumar said, “Meghalaya had requested the Supreme Court to permit the State to formally close the operation for retrieving the bodies. The court allowed the application and permitted the State to close the operation.” It may be mentioned that on December 13, 2018 at least 15 miners were trapped in an illegal coal mine in Khloo Ryngksan area under Lumthari village, East Jaintia Hills after it got flooded.

The rescue operation involved the Navy, National Disaster Relief Force, the State Disaster Relief Force and Odisha Fire Services personnel. The Navy used its Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), to detect the bodies under the muddy water. Technicians and machineries from Coal India Limited, KSB, a Pune-based German pumping company and Kirloskar Brothers with their heavy duty pumps tried to dewater the flooded mine but in vain.

Experts and scientists came from National Geophysical Research Institute, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee to oversee the rescue operation. Out of those who drowned, two of the victims’ bodies have been fished out of the deep pits filled with water.

The State Advocate General also informed that all other prayers including compensation have been given up by the petitioner, Aditya N Prasad.

“Request was made by senior counsel of the petitioner for laying standard operating procedure to be followed in future for similar situation across India. The next hearing on this matter was adjourned for 4 weeks,” the Advocate General said.

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