Soon after the Supreme Court lambasted the Meghalaya government for delay in rescuing the 15 miners trapped in an illegal coal mine in the state since December 13, chief minister Conrad Sangma denied any fault from the part of his government. Refering to the Supreme Court's question on why the Army was not called for the rescue mission, Sangma said the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force were already in operation at the site. "The Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force are making everything possible. But we must understand the situation there. The place is very remote and the water level is rising every hour," the chief minister told THE WEEK.
READ: 'We aren't satisfied': SC pulls up Meghalaya govt over failure to rescue miners
Pulling up both the state and central governments, the apex court had, earlier in the day, wondered why India could not get sophisticated equipment to save those trapped in the mine, while Thailand was able to rescue trapped footballers in a cave last year.
However, talking to THE WEEK, Sangma hinted that chances of the trapped miners being alive were dim. "With more than 17 days elapsing and air pockets decreasing day by day, it would be difficult for them to survive. However, we are leaving no stone unturned," the chief minister said.
Sources have confirmed that the Meghalaya government would be sending advocate general to the Supreme Court with a detailed report. Sangma asked the officials to finalise a minute-by-minute detail on the actions he took. The Attorney General of India would also be present in the court with a detailed action taken report on Friday.
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With the accident, there has been a rising demand to withdraw mining ban in the coal mines of East Jaintia in Meghalaya. The BJP has asked the government led by the National People's Party, its coalition partner, to submit a petition before the Supreme Court in this regard. "There is no way we can see the plight of the jobless people anymore... their only means of earning was mining the coal pits. We have urged the Meghalaya government to submit a petition before the Supreme Court to allow people to mine the coal pits attached to the East Jaintia hills," Meghalaya BJP chief Shibun Lyndoh told THE WEEK.
The BJP's request comes at a time when, chief minister Sangma, in an exclusive interview given to THE WEEK, admitted that his government was contemplating on making mining legal in the area. "But we would have to do a balancing act. We cannot allow the environment to get badly hit because of this," Sangma had said in the interview. The full interview is published in the latest issue of THE WEEK that has hit the stands.
The National Green Tribunal in its order on April 17, 2014, had banned coal mining in East Jaintia hills citing pollution of rivers in Assam. However, the BJP said people were starving in the area and there were no other means of livelihood there. "They cannot farm the land or do jhoom cultivation on the hills. We cannot stay as a mute spectator. Our government would legalise mining," said Lyndoh.