Rat-Hole Mining

News: Workers stand trapped in a flooded coal mine in Assam’s Dima Hasao district. Out of the nine workers, the bodies of four workers have been recovered while the rescue operation is still in progress. 

About Rat-Hole Mining 

• Rat hole mining is a method of extracting coal from narrow, horizontal seams. It involves digging tunnels 3-4 feet deep, hardly allowing workers to crawl in and out. 
• This type of mining is prevalent in Meghalaya. 
• The tunnels are so narrow that workers must squat while extracting coal with pickaxes. 
• It is of two types:  
  • Side cutting Mining: This type of mining is usually done on hill slopes by following a coal seam. Here, narrow tunnels are dug on hill slopes and workers go inside until they find the coal seam. 
  • Box cutting Mining: It involves digging a circular or squarish pit at least 5 sq. metre in width up to a depth of 400 feet. Once the coal seam is found, narrow tunnels are dug horizontally through which workers can extract coal. 
• Rat hole mining raises serious concerns over workers health and safety as it may lead to asphyxiation because of poor ventilation, collapse of mines due to lack of structural support and flooding. 
• It also has several negative implications for the environment like land degradation, deforestation and water pollution.