Illegal coal mining has persisted in Assam's Tinsukia district for many years despite constant protests, stricter directions and an unconditional court ban.

Over the years, illegal coal mining has led to severe degradation of the environment and claimed innumerable innocent lives. Several miners and labourers have lost their lives, with their bodies either abandoned permanently or found trapped in illegal mines after several days. In a recent incident, one such death of Pranjal Moran led to widespread protests. Moran's body, placed “40-50 feet” deep in a tunnel and covered up, was found in an illegal set-up at a colliery that is part of the North Eastern Coalfields operated by Coal India Limited.

Such deaths, however, are either under-reported or not officially reported. Pradyut Bordoloi, a senior Congress MP from Assam, told LCW that a number of workers, usually from backward classes, lose their lives in such mines but only a few cases get registered officially.

Stating that rat-hole and illegal coal mining still exists in the forest areas of Tinsukia like the Tipong hills (outside the notified wildlife area), he said, "As a consequence of mining activities, workers from the deprived or backward classes lose their lives. During the monsoon, between February and July, workers die because the mines get flooded. This is a massive scam, and only when there are no options, four-five out of 100 cases get registered on the official record."

Bordoloi said that usually Bengali-speaking migrants and outsiders are hired for work in such mines and in most of the cases, there are no details available about the individuals. He further added that illicit mining has led to massive deforestation in the area.

Rat-hole mining involves digging tunnels 3-4 feet deep, barely allowing workers to crawl in and out. They have to squat while extracting coal with pickaxes. There are two kinds of rat-hole mining - side-cutting and box-cutting mining. While the side-cutting type of mining is usually done on hill slopes, box-cutting entails digging a circular or squarish pit at least 5 square metres in width up to a depth of 400 feet. In the latter, miners have to drop down in makeshift cranes or using rope-and-bamboo ladders and dig horizontally after finding the coal seam. The tunnels are dug in every direction from the edge of the pit, resembling the tentacles of an octopus. This form of coal mining was banned by the National Green Tribunal in 2014.

An investigative report published in a regional daily _Dainik Agradoot _on December 11, 2023, stated that BJP MLA from Margherita, Bhaskar Sharma, was involved in illegal coal trade with the help of surrendered militants and support from ministers from Dispur and Delhi.

In a video footage from India Today, the owner of a coal mine in Tipong, says, "Here you will find the rat-hole mining. You will see young boys, especially the unemployed youth take up a particular area and carry out mining. Coal India has already done mining here. There is no coal left now. Now, if someone wishes to do coal mining here, that won't be possible. One will find coal at a depth of 10-15 feet but beyond that is empty. Hence, when one says that Tipong will be destroyed if an earthquake strikes, is true. Now, if you see that mine, entering into its depth, following rows of steps, Coal India Ltd used high-end tools and destroyed a vast expanse of land."

Coal India officials also did not respond to LCW’s queries.  

Apart from Ledo-Margherita, illegal coal mining activities have been taking place in full capacity in multiple other locations including Digboi Forest Division and multiple villages along the Assam-Arunachal border area. Sources said, there are rampant illegal rat-hole mines in proposed Saleki Reserve Forest, Paharpur, Lalpahar, Aradhara and Jharnabasti under Digboi Forest Division.

In 2022, Margherita police arrested over seven miners for illegal rat-hole mining activities in the Namdang colliery.
That year, locals, various organisations and environmental activists staged widespread protests against illegal coal mining, following which the authorities in August issued prohibitory orders restricting the entry of unauthorised persons into the reserved forest areas of Lekhapani, Tirap and Tipang. But, despite the order, illegal mining activities and transportation of such coal continues in these areas.

It is important to note that on 26 March, 2022, Union Minister of Coal and Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi along with the Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sharma had inaugurated the operations at Tikak Colliery of NEC at Margherita in Assam’s Tinsukia district, commencing its re-operation.

Devojit Moran, secretary of Green Bud NGO, said that over 1,000 rat hole mines are being operated in Margherita, Ledo and Kharsang area alone.

Dr. Lakshmanan S, IAS, Secretary to the Government of Assam, Mines & Minerals Department, and N. Anand, IFS, Director, Directorate of Geology & Mining, Guwahati did not respond to queries sent by LCW. 

In February 2023, Axom Jatiya Parishad (AJP), a newly formed conglomerate of regional leaders petitioned to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the illegal rat-hole mining of coal has continued in parts of Assam. "The report of the (probe) commission highlighted the danger of deforestation. Needless to mention that it (rat-hole mining) has a serious impact on the overall environment and ecology of the areas,” the memorandum said.

In April 2023, the Gauhati High Court directed the Centre and the Assam government to ensure that no illegal mining activities take place in a forest area under Digboi division in Upper Assam. The court also issued a notice to the Forest Department and Coal India Limited in connection with alleged illegal coal mining at Ledo-Margherita locality in Assam’s Tinsukia district.