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 […]

    Rat Hole Mining Subject: Geography Section: Economic Geography Context: As per information received from Coal Controller Organization (CCO), no coal production has been reported during last 4 years from the State of Meghalaya. Concept: Rat hole mining involves digging of very small tunnels, usually only 3-4 feet high, which workers (often children) enter […]

Subject: Environment Context: Rat-hole coal mining had sucked the life out of Moolamylliang(village) less than a decade ago. The village in the East Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya has now risen like the proverbial phoenix to become a clean, green dot in a vast black blot. Concept: The Jaintia Coal Miners and Dealers’ Association claims […]