SC to hear tomorrow plea on Meghalaya mine tragedy

552

The Supreme Court will hear tomorrow a petition seeking speedy actions to evacuate 15 miners trapped in a flooded mine in Meghalaya.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Krishan Kaul will hear the matter.

The plea by Advocate Aditya N Prasad said the machinery to sponge down the water being offered should be instantaneously airlifted to the site instead of delivering it by road.

It is to be known that for over 20 days, 15 miners are trapped inside a flooded coalmine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district. The rescue work is being done by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Navy, Odisha firefighters and Coal India Ltd.

The NGT had earlier ordered a temporary ban on “rat-hole” coal mining in Meghalaya effective April 17, 2014.

—India Legal Bureau