https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/understanding-rat-hole-mining-explained/article67588357.ece the hazards of rat-hole mining — asphyxiation because of poor ventilation, collapse of mines due to lack of structural support, and flooding — to earn thrice or four times as much as working in farms or construction sites. Apart from issues of safety and health, unregulated mining led to land degradation, deforestation, and water with high concentrations of sulphates, iron, and toxic heavy metals, low dissolved oxygen, and high biochemical oxygen demand. At least two rivers, Lukha and Myntdu, became too acidic to sustain aquatic life. In May 2023, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said the Coal Ministry approved mining leases for four of the 17 prospective licence applicants. This would lead to the commencement of ‘scientific’ mining ensuring minimal environmental impact through sustainable and legally compliant extraction procedures. Anti-mining activists, who are assaulted by miners off and on, said that ‘scientific’ would eventually be a fancy tag in a State where profit has driven coal mining.
An Introduction to Rat-hole Mining https://environicsindia.in/2019/02/20/an-introduction-to-rat-hole-mining/
On December 2018, the collapse of coal mine in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, trapping at least 15 workers who were still missing and are feared dead, has thrown the spotlight on the “rat-hole mining.” Although banned, it remains the only procedure of coal mining in Meghalaya.
Few private players and some people who do invest in such mining are taking the help of Constitution to right their wrongs. They say, “Constitution’s 6th Schedule intends to protect the communities’ ownership over its land and autonomy and consent over its nature of use.” The ongoing coal mining in Meghalaya was a corruption of this Constitutional Provision. Private individuals with interests in earning monetary benefits from minerals under the land are engaged in coal mining. They are attempting to legitimize this act by claiming immunity through tribal autonomy over land ownership. In coming days, controversy over rat-hole mining in Meghalaya will increase and Central and State Government must work together in an amicable manner to stop such pathetic dehumanizing practice.
https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/rat-hole-mining-1
Why was Rat-Hole Mining Banned?
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned rat-hole mining in 2014 for being unscientific, but the practice continues to be rampant.
Several accidents have resulted in deaths of rat-hole miners in the Northeastern state.
In 2018, 15 men involved in illegal mining were trapped inside a flooded mine. Only two bodies could be recovered in the course of the rescue operation that lasted for more than two months.
Another such accident took place in 2021 when five miners were trapped in a flooded mine. Three bodies were found before rescue teams called off the operation after a month. Add to this the environmental pollution caused by this method.
Mining, however, is a key source of revenue for the state government. The Manipur government has challenged the NGT ban, arguing that there is no other feasible mining option for the region.
A panel appointed by Meghalaya High Court in 2022 found rat-hole mining continues unabated in Meghalaya.
Environment body calls for a rethink on River Front Development https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/environment-body-calls-for-a-rethink-on-river-front-development-9044988/lite/
November 28, 2023
The India Rivers Forum, is calling for a suspension of the River Front Development (RFD) project and a proper review with the participation of everybody. “RFDs have been promoted in a big way by the central and state governments across the country in the name of rejuvenating and beautifying the rivers. Some of the prominent sites for RFD projects across India are Varanasi, Bhagalpur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Hyderabad, Jammu, Kota, Bilaspur, Patna, Guwahati and Pune. Though RFD aims to revitalise the riverfront areas, in reality these projects are less about river restoration and more about the encroachment of floodplains and riverbeds characterised by heavily concretised embankments and other structures like barrages and also reclaiming floodplains and riverbeds for real estate development. The Pune RFD project follows the same trajectory”.
“With more than 20 per cent of the floodplains already encroached, breaching both the 25-year and 100-year flood lines across the city, construction of embankments and barrages on the prohibitive zone under the RFD project would further constrict the rivers, reducing their carrying capacity leading to an increase in the flood risk. There is no room for the rivers to absorb floods under this project, especially considering that the Pune region is going to experience an increase in rainfall due to climate change and existing encroachments”.
“We are not saying that the river should be left as it is. The river, seriously, needs rejuvenation but the way it is being done is killing the river.
This is why Israel plans to bury hundreds of cars, with ashes and blood stains https://m.jpost.com/israel-news/article-774511 Nov 22 2023 Due to the lack of body parts or remains of many of those killed in the October 7 Hamas massacre, the ZAKA has recommended burying the cars of those who were killed in them.
ZAKA Tel Aviv is the emergency response unit of central Israel, serving in over 21 cities across the country with thousands of volunteers, and is recognized as a civil extension of Israel’s emergency services and the only emergency response unit authorized to operate in central Israel.
comment: Clearly, Israel is getting rid of the evidence, "burying" the cars for the "first time in Israel's history". This is the proof that hundreds of cars were shot at by Israeli Apache Helicopters that killed hundreds of Israeli Civilians.
Surveillance soldiers warned of Hamas activity on Gaza border for months before Oct. 7. https://www.timesofisrael.com/surveillance-soldiers-warned-of-hamas-activity-on-gaza-border-for-months-before-oct-7/ Survivors of massacre on IDF base say they passed information up the chain of command on digging, mapping, training near the fence long before mass onslaught, but were ignored 26th Oct 20Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the attack in detail. Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational and ignored specific warnings https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html23
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
A blueprint reviewed by The Times laid out the attack in detail. Israeli officials dismissed it as aspirational and ignored specific warnings https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-attack-intelligence.html
https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/12/01/nyt-israel-intelligence-hamas-attack-blueprint-ac360-vpx.cnn Ronen Bergman to discuss his stunning report that Israeli intelligence was aware of a blueprint for an attack from Hamas more than a year ago that was similar to the attack on October 7th.
FM on WA: 1st Dec 2023 Israel laid a trap and kept on provoking the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, which led to the 7th of October Gaza Ghetto Uprising! Finally, Israel got Entrapped in its own Trap. Both Genocide Joe & Holocaust Benjamin are War Criminals, are international pariah's for carrying out the mass murders of Palestinian civilians and mass destruction of civilian infrastructure. https://twitter.com/zoo_bear/status/1729430993751396823?t=GuVY3kIGXF2IxuudeOX4uQ
*‘A mass assassination factory’: Inside Israel’s calculated bombing of Gaza Permissive airstrikes on non-military targets and the use of an artificial intelligence system have enabled the Israeli army to carry out its deadliest war on Gaza, a +972 and Local Call investigation reveals. Yuval Abraham Nov 30, 2023 https://www.972mag.com/mass-assassination-factory-israel-calculated-bombing-gaza/
Gilad Atzmon 29.11.2023 https://www.facebook.com/100000307309319/posts/pfbid0qFE4Aao2jX8dvrjZ9mwXNHhLiHPVaZJBGuSyeeFbiA6AHAKKtB3sMCLj6jGPPVgMl/?mibextid=Nif5oz The hostages are the living proof of Bibi and the IDF’s betrayal: their ordeal is the outcome of the Gaza Ring becoming Israel’s human shield. The kibbutzniks amongst them know that the army was hiding behind their kibbutzim and failed to deliver. The rave party goers who ended up in Gaza saw how the IDF put Hannibal into action, they saw helicopter gunships shooting at them. All the hostages witnessed the reckless Israeli attack on Gaza population following the 7 October raid. The Israeli hostages who survived this, know that it is only because the Hamas went out of its way (for whatever reason) to protect them from Israel’s bombs
EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN INDIA" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-nvO5bWPTQ National Conference on "Excellence in Higher Education" Loyola College Chennai Dec 19, 2018
Everything Has Been Lost for Germany! Massive Layoffs and the Onset of a Lifetime Economic Crash" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oKvs2mGmDA Nov 29, 2023 Everything Has Been Lost for Germany! Massive Layoffs and the Onset of a Lifetime Economic Crash"
Internal issues include an aging population, an old-fashioned industrial model, and recent data showing a decline in manufacturing, with industrial production dropping for five consecutive months.
Germany's energy policies, such as phasing out coal and nuclear energy, have led to high energy prices, impacting the economy. Major companies, including pharmaceutical and automotive players, are making significant job cuts due to economic problems.
The challenges faced by the German car industry, including competition from Chinese electric cars, Biden's incentives for low carbon manufacturing in the U.S., and issues with paperwork, expensive electricity, and declining orders, have prompted many companies to consider investing elsewhere, potentially leading to a technical recession and a disruptive court decision on government spending.
Tapovan Vishnugad: NTPC project at the heart of Joshimath crisis https://frontline.thehindu.com/environment/tapovan-vishnugad-hydropower-plant-ntpc-project-at-the-heart-of-joshimath-crisis/article66386447.ece by Himanshu TakarJan 26, 2023
Were thorough geological, geophysical, and geotechnical studies done before sanctioning the project?
On January 13, following Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sharing its findings about the sinking of Joshimath, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) working under Union Home Minister Amit Shah issued an order asking all agencies to refrain from sharing any findings about the Joshimath crisis till an expert committee gave its report. This is unfortunate. An expert committee including NDMA, National Institute of Disaster Management, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and Central Building Research Institute, among others, is investigating the cause of the disaster. The engagement of some of these institutes (e.g. GSI) in this committee amounts to conflict of interest since they were also involved in the sanctioning of the Tapovan Vishnugad project.
हेडलाइन से हिमालय ग़ायब | Himalayas and Uttarakashi tunnel rescue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIHbLvLxp4
Nov 30, 2023 Many people deserve congratulations for the successful mission of Silkyara Tunnel. The role of the machine was as much as that of humans, as much that of the administration, from the rat miners to the people who came from Australia with their experiences and kept trying. But amidst all this it is important to understand the geography of Uttarakhand and the complexity of the Himalayas. The media coverage of the success of the rescue work of Silkyara Tunnel is showing that even the Himalayas are helpless in front of it. Nobody is worried about him. We have to learn to differentiate between disaster and disaster management. Who will work so hard? There is no hero in sight while talking on these questions. On the contrary, you start seeing him as a villain.
Uttarkashi tragedy: Meet the magical rat-hole miners who pulled off the rescue https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/uttarkashi-tragedy-meet-the-magical-rat-hole-miners-who-pulled-off-the-rescue/cid/1983496 Piyush Srivastava Lucknow Published 30.11.23
The 12 rat-hole miners took turns to work like this inside the pipe from 7.15pm on Monday to 6.30pm on Tuesday to clear the last barrier of 8-10 metres of debris to bring out the workers trapped for 16 days
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