Meghalaya mine: Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi, urges Centre to send pumps

Guwahati, December 26, 2018:

Indian National Congress President Rahul Gandhi today launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to organize high pressure pumps for the rescue operations at Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district’s ‘rat-hole’ mine where more than fifteen labourers are feared trapped.

Responding to a tweet by a popular national media organization on the suspension of rescue operations because of lack of high pressure pumps, the Congress leader tweeted: “15 miners have been struggling for air in a flooded coal mine for two weeks. Meanwhile, PM struts about on Bogibeel Bridge posing for cameras. His government refuses to organize high-pressure pumps for the rescue. PM please save the miners”, referring to the PM’s inauguration of the Bogibeel Bridge at Meghalaya’s neighbouring state Assam.

Rescue efforts have proved challenging due to constant flooding in the mine as National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescue personnel have to simultaneously drain out the water while attempting rescue. Rescue workers have been waiting for 100-horsepower pumps to boost rescue operations, but such pumps are not available with the Meghalaya government. Rescue efforts with two 25-horsepower pumps have proved futile. Water is flooding into the mine from both a nearby mine and the Lytien river.

It is to be mentioned that Gandhi has been taking the attack to the opposition BJP in recent times and his offensive approach has yielded promising results as the Congress has been able to flip the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the recent assembly elections.