GUWAHATI: Two coal mine labourers were killed due to asphyxiation in Meghalaya as the state government continues to deny illegal coal mining activities in the state.
The incident was reported from Shallang area of West Khasi Hills. The victims, Ainuddin Ali and Sukur Ali of Boko, hailed from Assam.
Esahak Ali, who is the father of Ainuddin, told journalists he had learnt about the death of his son on Wednesday night.
In a viral video, a local said the two labourers had gone deep inside the coal mine and died, possibly, due to lack of oxygen. The mine was apparently shut for four-five years and alleged efforts were being made to resume operation.
The police said they did not have any official information to confirm the deaths. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also expressed ignorance.
But activist Agnes Kharshiing, who has been fighting the menace for long and has also faced a brutal attack on her life, said the government was lying.
“They are cheating everyone by lying. There is a government is place and it has its machineries. How cannot they see? People are dying. Do they want more people to die?” a livid Kharshiing told The New Indian Express.
“They say they need a report but there are reports in the media. Should they not investigate? The government is not somebody’s property or the property of a political party. They owe an answer to the people,” the activist added.
The purported incident is one of the numerous coal mine tragedies that Meghalaya has witnessed over the years. In December 2018, at least 17 labourers were killed when a coal mine had got flooded.
Daily wages, which could be as high as Rs 2,000-3,000, draws the poor from the Northeast, particularly Assam, to the Meghalaya mines. A section of the mines is allegedly owned by politicians and their family members.
Recently, All India Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Sangma, who is also a former chief minister, claimed he had “hard evidence” of the illegal activities and he would share it with the government.
He had urged the central government to take cognisance of the issue stating that coal is not a state subject.
The National Green Tribunal allows only scientific mining but coal in the state is extracted by following the dangerous mode of rat-hole mining.