Guwahati (Assam) [India], January 15 (HBTV): The ongoing search and rescue operation to locate trapped workers at the flooded rat-hole coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district has entered its ninth day, but progress remains hindered by persistently high water levels, suspected to be linked to the nearby Kopili River.
The Geological Survey of India has begun a study to determine the cause, while dewatering efforts continue at the site, now in its ninth day of operations.
According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the water levels are only decreasing marginally--less than one foot after 36-48 hours of dewatering efforts.
The Chief Minister said that the water levels could be influenced by the nearby Kopili River, raising concerns that the coal mine may be connected to the river.
'We suspect that the coal mine (where the incident occurred) is somewhere connected to the Kopili River. Even conducting the dewatering process for 36-48 hours, the water level of the coal mine has decreased only less than 1 foot. That reason has affected the search and rescue operations. From today the Geological Survey of India has started its study on it and they will give us a comment. But we will try to continue the dewatering process. After 3-4 days we will have to take a view on it,' said CM Sarma.
Various agencies, including the Indian Army, Indian Navy, NDRF, SDRF, and Coal India Limited, are involved in the dewatering process as murky water continues to fill the coal mine.
Nine workers were trapped inside the flooded mine on January 6, and the authorities have recovered four bodies from the mine.
Assam Minister Kaushik Rai told ANI that various agencies are engaged in the dewatering process and conducting search and rescue operations to locate and rescue five trapped persons.
On January 8, the first body, identified as Ganga Bahadur Shreth from Nepal, was recovered from the flooded rat-hole mine.
On January 11, three bodies were recovered: Lijen Magar, 27, from Kalamati village in Umrangso; Khusi Mohan Rai, 57, from Magergaon in Kokrajhar, Assam; and Sarat Goyary, 37, from Thailapara in Sonitpur, Assam. The rescue operations are still underway, with five miners still missing.
'Coal India Limited has also provided a heavy pump with a capacity of 500 gallons per minute, and its installation process is underway. The Indian Army, Indian Navy, and NDRF divers have so far recovered four bodies from the mine. The dewatering process is continued, and 12 pumps have been used in this process,' Kaushik Rai said.
A senior official of the Assam government said that several other flooded mines are near this mine and the distance from the river and the mine is only 650-700 meters.
'So there is a possibility of inter-linkage between other mines to this mine, and water flowing from other mines to this mine is still continued. Now dewatering is the only option to locate the trapped persons,' the officer said.
The Dima Hasao district police have so far arrested two persons in connection with the coal mine incident.
The mining accident in Assam's Dima Hasao has left families of the deceased in a state of despair. Junu Pradhan, the grieving wife of 27-year-old Lijen Magar, is struggling to come to terms with the loss of her husband, the sole breadwinner of their family.
With a two-month-old baby to care for, Junu is uncertain about their future, feeling 'totally helpless.'
'He (Lijen Magar) was the only earning source of our family. I have a two-month-old child, and I don't know what will be our future. I am now totally helpless,' Junu Pradhan told ANI.
27-year-old Lijen Magar was among nine workers who were trapped inside the inundated rat-hole coal mine after water entered the mine on January 6. (ANI)