Guwahati: The Assam government on Wednesday disclosed the detection of 263 illegal rat-hole coal mines in central Assam, operating under the jurisdiction of two autonomous councils, and confirmed the seizure of over 25,630 tonnes of illegally mined coal in the last three years.
In a written reply to Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi, Mines and Minerals Minister Kaushik Rai revealed that 248 illegal rat-hole mines were identified within the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), covering Dima Hasao district.
Additionally, 15 mines were detected in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, which includes East and West Karbi Anglong districts.
Rat-hole mining, banned by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) since 2014, continues in parts of the Northeast, raising concerns over environmental and human safety.
The minister acknowledged that coal extraction also occurs in districts like Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, and Charaideo but did not provide specific details about the prevalence of rat-hole mining in these areas.
The issue came into sharp focus earlier this year when nine laborers were tragically trapped in an illegal mine in the Umrangso area on January 6.
A sudden influx of water flooded the site, leading to the recovery of the partially decomposed bodies of the miners days later.
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Responding to a separate query from AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain, Rai reported that authorities had confiscated 25,631.98 tonnes of illegally mined and transported coal over three years.
“The process of auctioning the seized coal through a legal framework is ongoing,” Rai informed the assembly.
He added that the government has intensified efforts to curb illegal mining activities, forming a monitoring committee led by the Director General of Police (DGP) to oversee enforcement measures.
The discovery of widespread illegal mining highlights ongoing challenges in regulating the coal sector in Assam, despite the NGT’s ban and state-level efforts to address the issue.
