INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: On Monday, a team of six 'rat-hole' miners from UP joined the operation to rescue 41 trapped workers inside the Silkyara tunnel
They will manually dig their way and are expected to cover the 10-12 metres of rubble left to reach the trapped workers in tunnel in 24 to
Only individuals with specialised skills in tunneling, referred to as rat-hole miners, have been mobilised for this taskRat-hole mining is a
procedure that entails the excavation of extremely narrow tunnels, typically around 3-4 feet in depth, within which workers, often children,
enter to extract coalRat-hole mining is predominantly practiced in Meghalaya due to the challenging terrain and the specific characteristics
of coal found in this regionIn 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned it, citing concerns about its unscientific nature and the
safety risks posed to workersDespite the ban imposed by the NGT, unauthorised rat-hole mining continues, leading to unfortunate fatalities
in MeghalayaMiners descend hundreds of feet into these horizontal tunnels to extract coal
These mines are established and operated using rudimentary equipmentThere are two types of rat-hole miningNarrow tunnels are excavated into
the hill slopes, and workers enter these openings to locate the coal seamRectangular openings are created, ranging in size from 10 to 100
square metresUttarkashi Tunnel Rescue Day 17: 6 'Rat-Hole' Miners Join Ops, 36 Mtr of Vertical Drilling CompleteWatchUttarkashi tunnel
