In the aftermath of the Umrangso coal mine tragedy, where at least nine workers were trapped, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma provided an update on the rescue operations on Friday during a press conference in Guwahati.
The dewatering process has reportedly led to a reduction of 7 meters from the 26 meters of water that flooded the coal mine, which is interconnected with four other wells.
The CM explained, "It is only after the water gets decreased then only we can expect a result and recover the individuals trapped inside the coal mine." A machine has been brought from Nagpur, and the Chief Minister expressed hope that if everything proceeds well, the water will be dried out by tomorrow evening. However, he also cautioned, "If it doesn’t work then we might take another 48 hours for the operation."
As of now, eight individuals are believed to be trapped inside the coal mine, with one body having been recovered earlier this week. "So far only nine families have approached us whose men are inside the coal mine as miners, so we will have to go by the record," the Chief Minister added.
The incident has sparked debate, with some reports suggesting it involved an illegal coal mine. However, Sarma clarified that the mine was abandoned by the Assam Mineral Development Corporation (AMDC) over 12 years ago and described the activity as illegal mining. "On the day of the incident, it was the first day that those people who are now trapped entered the well illegally to extract coal. Before that, there was no mining on that site," he stated.
Sarma also defended the state government's actions, saying, "The Assam police have registered a case and arrested one individual connected to the matter, who brought these laborers." He dismissed any political speculation, clarifying that the name of Debolal Gorlosa, the CEM of North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) in Dima Hasao district, had not emerged in the police investigation, urging the public to treat the incident as a "human tragedy."
The tragedy has sparked a sharp response from opposition parties, especially Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah, who launched a scathing attack on the state government. Borah criticized the BJP for its handling of coal syndicates in the state and questioned the Chief Minister's control over the situation. "Is Assam under Himanta Biswa Sarma’s control? If yes, then he must know these syndicates. And if not, then that is a serious problem. He has to clarify this," Borah stated.
Borah also called out the Chief Minister for not taking responsibility for the situation, saying, "Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he would pounce like a tiger even if a Rs 2,000 scam comes up. Where is that tiger sleeping now?" He further accused the BJP of being involved in coal syndicates and of not adhering to Supreme Court directives. "The people have to see this. Without any kind of police or administrative intervention, hundreds of trucks of coal are running up and down daily," Borah emphasized.
In response to the tragedy, the Congress party organized statewide protests, demanding answers from the Chief Minister and calling for greater accountability in addressing illegal mining. Placards and slogans reading "koyla syndicate or sardar kun?" (who owns the coal syndicate) were raised during the protests, with Congress holding the government responsible for the failure to curb illegal mining activities.
Also Read: Illegal Mining: Assam Forest Dept To File FIR; More Arrests Expected
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