Assam government sets 7-day deadline to shut down illegal coal mines in state

In a decisive move to combat illegal coal mining, Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh has issued a strict seven-day deadline to shut down all coal fields across the state where rat-hole mining activities are underway. The directive was confirmed on Sunday during an inspection of mining sites in Margherita, Ledo, and Lekhapani, conducted alongside the Inspector General (IG) and Superintendent of Police (SP). 

DGP Singh emphasized that all stakeholders, including the Mining Department, District Administration, Forest Department, Coal India Limited, and others, have been directed to ensure complete closure of illegal rat-hole mining sites within the stipulated timeframe. “Illegal mining persists in regions like Margherita, Ledo, and Lekhapani. As per the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s instructions, all such operations must cease within seven days. Authorities have also been instructed to seal abandoned mines in Umrangso,” Singh stated.   

As part of this intensified crackdown, authorities have sealed 13 illegal rat-hole mines in Tinsukia district. In a separate raid on Saturday at Bittu Pahar in Namdang Colliery under Margherita Co-District, four individuals engaged in illegal mining activities were apprehended. Two temporary offices at the site were sealed, and officials seized equipment, including a generator and excavators.  

The operation was carried out in the presence of Margherita Co-District Executive Magistrate Pritom Gogoi, DGP Singh, Margherita police personnel, representatives from North Eastern Coalfields of Coal India Ltd., and officials from the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited.  

In Dima Hasao district, the police and district administration have launched a parallel drive to seal illegal mines and confiscate mining equipment. The initiative follows a tragic incident on January 6, when a rat-hole mine in the Tin Kilo area of Umrangso flooded, trapping several miners. While four bodies were recovered by January 10, five miners remain unaccounted for.  

The state government’s crackdown underscores its commitment to curbing unauthorized mining and safeguarding lives and the environment from the hazards of rat-hole mining practices.