Rat-hole mining

Subject: Environment

Section: Pollution

Context: Uttarakhand tunnel rescue ops

What is Rat hole mining:

It is a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams, prevalent in Meghalaya.
The term “rat hole” refers to the narrow pits dug into the ground, typically just large enough for one person to descend and extract coal.
Once the pits are dug, miners descend using ropes or bamboo ladders to reach the coal seams.
The coal is then manually extracted using primitive tools such as pickaxes, shovels, and baskets.

What are different types of rat mining:

Rat-hole mining is broadly of two types.
In the side-cutting procedure, narrow tunnels are dug on the hill slopes and workers go inside until they find the coal seam.
The coal seam in hills of Meghalaya is very thin, less than 2 m in most cases
The other type of rat-hole mining is called box-cutting.
In this type, a rectangular opening is made, varying from 10 to 100 sqm, and through that a vertical pit is dug, 100 to 400 feet deep.
Once the coal seam is found, rat-hole-sized tunnels are dug horizontally through which workers can extract the coal.

What are the Environmental and safety concerns involved:

The mines often operate without regulation, lacking essential safety measures like proper ventilation, structural support, and safety gear for the workers.
Moreover, the mining process contributes to land degradation, deforestation, and water pollution.
This mining method has garnered severe criticism for its unsafe working conditions, environmental harm, and frequent accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities.
Despite efforts by authorities to regulate or prohibit such practices, they persist due to economic factors and the lack of viable alternative livelihoods for the local population.

When and why was it banned:

In 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a ban on rat-hole mining, a prevalent coal mining practice in Meghalaya.
The NGT cited numerous instances of fatalities, including workers and individuals, due to flooding in mining areas during the rainy season.
The ban was subsequently upheld in 2015.
In response, the Meghalaya state government appealed the NGT’s order, seeking a review, and took the matter to the Supreme Court.