Rat-hole mining: Never a boon, now definitely a bane

The heroic rescue of 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand brought attention to rat-hole mining, a lesser-known skill mostly associated with coal thieves. Rat-hole mining, once the only way to reach coal seams, became limited to illegal mines due to advancements in technology. The National Green Tribunal banned rat-hole mining in 2014 based on petitions and experiences in Meghalaya. Despite the ban, manual excavation of coal using furrows continues in Jharkhand, where coal deposits are found.