Meghalaya govt to move top court to stop rescue of trapped miners
Shillong, April 4, 2019: Around four months after 16 people were trapped in an illegal coal mine in Meghalaya, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said the state government will appeal to the Supreme Court to stop the operations to retrieve the bodies.
On January 28, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and the Meghalaya government to continue their multi-agency operations to rescue the miners.
Mr Conrad had earlier informed the Assembly that Rs. 2.5 crore had been spent on the operation which began on December 13, the day 16 of the 22 miners, who went down the illegal mine were stuck when water gushed in from the Lytein river.
Last week, 50 Army personnel arrived at Ksan area to help the district administration set up girder platforms to place submersible pumps for pumping out water.
Dewatering exercise has been continuing from 10 to 15 abandoned coal mine shafts to help reduce the water level at the rat-hole coal mine.
The Army, the NDRF, some leading companies and the local administration are involved in the exercise.
(PTI)