The memory of the January 6, 2025 tragedy, where eight workers perished in a rat-hole mining accident in Umrangso, continues to haunt Assam’s Karbi Anglong autonomous district. Now coal fires are a major problem in the Northeast districts.
The incident sparked widespread protests, with demands to shut down illegal rat-hole and open-cast coal mining operations in Karbi Anglong and Meghalaya.
Allegations surfaced that political leaders and police officials, reportedly receiving monthly commissions from coal syndicates, were complicit in these activities.
Chief Minister Promises Judicial Inquiry
While the Chief Minister promised a judicial inquiry, the people of the hills remain skeptical about when or if the report will be released and whether the true culprits will face justice.
Despite the public outcry, no high-profile figures have been held accountable and suspected perpetrators reportedly roam freely, possibly shielded by covert agreements.
Following media exposes starting January 22, 2025, which highlighted the coal mining and supply networks in Karbi Anglong, mining operations were temporarily suspended. Both rat-hole and open-cast mining remain officially halted.
Coal Fires Rage in Karbi Anglong
However, a new crisis has emerged from the thousands of tons of stockpiled low-grade (C-grade) coal in areas like Langmili and Disobai within the jurisdiction of Bakulia and Manja police station.
Prone to spontaneous combustion, these coal heaps are burning uncontrollably, posing severe health and environmental risks.
Langmili and Chainilangso Coal Fires
In Langmili, just 500 meters from the national highway under Bokolia Police Station, and in Disobai’s Chainilangso village, coal fires burn day and night, making life unbearable for residents of at least ten nearby villages.
Villagers, particularly children and the elderly, are grappling with respiratory issues, bronchitis, eye irritation, skin diseases, and frequent fevers.
Contaminated River Water
Contaminated river water from coal pit runoff has caused mass fish deaths and skin irritations among those who bathe in it. Agricultural lands are turning barren and even betel nut trees have died.
Amarsing Tisso To Visit
Thomas Timung, village headman of Langmili and Chainilangso, described the situation as a struggle for survival. These villages fall under the Singhason constituency of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, represented by Amarsing Tisso, who is also the sitting MP of Diphu Lok Sabha.
Amid the crisis, Tisso has expressed his concern and has told this correspondent that he will visit all the affected areas and address the situation. He was speaking from New Delhi over the phone.
The villagers, through this report, urge their representative to act swiftly to prevent future coal depots in their areas. However, with the MP preoccupied in Delhi, it remains uncertain whether their pleas will be heard or acted upon.
Earlier Fires
These fires are not a new phenomenon. In February this year, a major fire began in the Patkai Hills at Deep Mining in Ledo. Local authorities initiated an immediate emergency response.
Fire tenders and the local police arrived at the scene to discover flames engulfed wide swaths of the mining area.
At that time, local residents told the police and fire fighters the fires appeared to have started in illegal coal stockpiles they has seen smoldering at the site.
Mining of the rich coal deposits in the Patkai hills dates back to colonial times, but more recently, unauthorised mining activities have been undertaken in the area.
