Judicial panel to hold public hearing on Umrangso mine tragedy on April 21

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 12, 2025

The one-man inquiry commission headed by Justice (Retired) Anima Hazarika, set up by the Assam government to investigate the Umrangso mine tragedy, will conduct a public hearing on April 21 at the Conference Room of the Head of Plant Office Building, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO), Umrangso. The hearing will be held from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

The tragedy, which struck the 3 Kilo area of Umrangso, resulted in the confirmed deaths of nine miners, with local residents alleging that additional labourers remain missing, raising concerns over the scale of the disaster and the possible concealment of facts.

The commission was formally constituted by the Political Department (A) of the Assam government through a notification issued on January 24, following mounting public outcry and pressure to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to the terms of reference, the judicial panel has been tasked with establishing the facts, circumstances, and causes leading to the mine collapse and subsequent deaths, identifying individuals, companies, or institutions responsible for the incident, including any involvement in illegal rat-hole mining operations and determining whether there were administrative lapses or negligence on the part of state authorities, and if so, assigning responsibility.

The commission has also been asked to recommend systematic measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

Justice Hazarika has called upon victims, local residents, organizations, and other stakeholders who wish to provide oral or documentary evidence to appear before the panel during the scheduled hearing.

The tragedy has reignited debates around the regulation of mining activities in Assam, especially the use of hazardous and unregulated methods such as rat-hole mining, which has been widely criticized for its unsafe conditions and environmental damage.

Though the state government had previously claimed that mining operations in the area were under control, the Umrangso incident has exposed serious gaps in oversight and enforcement, prompting demands for a thorough cleanup of the sector and stricter checks on private mining entities operating in the region.

The Justice Anima Hazarika Commission is expected to submit its findings after a detailed examination of evidence and testimonies gathered during its probe. Public participation in the April 21 hearing will play a key role in ensuring the inquiry is both comprehensive and transparent.