Exclusive| Meghalaya Rescue operations halted due to lack of pumps

Guwahati, December 26, 2018:

The government seems to have turned a blind eye to the workers trapped in the ‘rat-hole’ mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia District as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have been stuck trying to suck water out from the ominous mine with two measly pumps of 25-horsepower each, while the response team has made it clear that ten pumps with 100-horsepower are required to resume rescue efforts.

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The East Jaintia Hills DC doesn’t seem to have the power to sanction more pumps as the power seems to be apparently only in the hands of the political elite in Shillong. It is to be mentioned that the operating will require diving 70-feet deep and because the NDRF can only dive 40-feet deep, rescue operations have been temporarily suspended two weeks after they started.

Internalources have informed that it takes 3-4 months to suck water out from the pits.