Outlawed mining process banned for being unsafe Involves digging of narrow tunnels, usually 3-4 feet high, for workers to enter and extract coal Horizontal tunnels are often termed ‘rat holes’ as each just about fits one person Technique is generally used in coal mining, especially in regions that have difficult terrain Once pits are dug, miners descend into them using ropes or bamboo ladders
Rat miners are specialists in digging, drilling manually in narrow passages such as tube mines They have experience of drilling for hours
Rat-hole mining came in handy in the rescue of 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara Bend-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi Process put to use after high-tech imported machinery proved to be unsuccessful in the operation
Rat-hole mining, largely used in Meghalaya, was banned in 2014 by National Green Tribunal for being unscientific It has led to several accidents in the State The technique poses significant safety and environmental hazards, typically due to the unregulated measures taken by miners Lack of proper safety gear, extraction equipment, proper ventilation are major safety hazards May lead to land degradation, water pollution, deforestation which are hazardous for the environment