LUCKNOW: The rocky terrain of Jhansi in the Bundelkhand region is hitting the headlines for it has produced a generation of ‘rat-hole miners,’ experts in burrowing manually through hard blocks of stones. The rat miners played the most significant role in the manual drilling of the choked Silkyara tunnel saving 41 trapped workers.
Where a US-made auger machine, which drilled up to 46.8 meters through the debris, failed to fetch the desired result on Friday, officials resorted to a ‘rat-hole’ mining technique to save 41 miners stuck up in the choked tunnel for 17 days.
Consequently, a team of six ‘rat miners,’ led by Prasadi Lodhi, from Jhansi - equipped with hammers, trowels, and shovels – proceeded to Uttarkashi and teamed up with the other rescuers of the Indian Army, NDRF, SDRF and managed to cut through the final stretch of the rocky mountain to take out the trapped workers safely.
Rat-hole mining is a primitive method of extracting coal deposits through narrow and horizontal passages. It refers to the narrow pits dug into the ground, typically just large enough for one person to descend into and extract coal.
The name comes from its resemblance to rats burrowing through narrow holes. Moreover, rat-hole mining used to come handy in building temples in 16th century in Bundelkhand region which is replete with historical monuments, forts and temples in abundance.
According to earth scientists, rat-hole mining is prevalent in Jhansi as it is located on a rocky plateau… with hard granite underneath. Rock cutters settled in the rural area of the region use traditional methods to cut rocks to make wells and ponds where explosives cannot be used to blast the rocks.
As per the local sources in Jhansi, rat miners (popularly called ‘khagars’ in Bundelkhand region) come from various communities including Ahirwar, Kushwaha, Lodhi, Sahariya, Koris and their service is used in quarrying, construction of underpass, wells and ponds.
They are capable of breaking rocks up to 10 quintals with hammers and shovels. Significantly, rat mining is a family profession. Government agencies and contractors hire rat miners to cut rocks in hard terrain areas where machines/explosives are not used.
Villagers also hire them to construct wells, install hand pumps and ponds. Even the services of these miners are used to build the base of the houses constructed in the hilly terrain. The service of rock miners has also been used in the laying of water pipelines for the tap water supply scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission in the seven districts of Bundelkhand region.