Uttarkashi’s Rat ‘Hole Story’: 25-Year-Old Recounts Miner Moments from Silkyara Op | Exclusive

The age-old 3P formula — ‘patience, perseverance and persistence’ – is what kept Nasir Khan, 25, a rat-hole miner, going in the crucial operation at Silkyara tunnel of Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi till Tuesday’s rescue of the 41 labourers stuck in the tunnel since November 12.

“The 3P, the thumb rule in the rat hole mining industry, helped make this mission successful. The other thing required for the rat hole mining in this case was the ability to bear extreme heat generated from the gas-cutters while cutting iron pipes and steel girders. This is also what makes this instance of rat hole mining a one-of-its-kind experience or the toughest of all," Khan, who hails from Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Kasganj district, told News18.

WHAT IS RAT MINING?

Rat hole mining is manual drilling carried out by skilled workers, most common in Meghalaya. Narrow pits are dug into the ground, usually just wide enough for one person. The term “rat hole" refers to the pits. The miner drops into it using a rope and bamboo ladders.

This method is usually used to extract coal, and is considered extremely hazardous. It is illegal in many countries due to increasing cases of miners dying of asphyxiation and lack of oxygen.

UP’s SPECIAL SIX

The UP government pressed Khan and five other rat hole miners from Bulandshahr district — Monu Kumar, Jatin Kashyap, Saurabh Kashyap, Devendra Kumar and Ankur Kumar — into action after the United States-made, heavy-duty auger-machine engaged in the drilling process broke down.

“Rat hole miners were sent from UP to rescue the trapped labourers," confirmed Naveen Kumar, relief commissioner, UP.

Other than UP’s special-6, six other rat miners from Delhi were also roped in for the operation.

PICKED UP ON NOV 25

Khan, well-known in Kasganj district for his expertise in rat mining, which he began almost 14 years ago, got the first call related to the operation on November 25. “The UP government officials contacted one of my mentors. I immediately said yes. Soon, there was a vehicle at my house, which took us all to the site. On November 26, around 2pm, we landed in Uttarkashi. We were told that we have nothing to do as a US-made auger machine is at work. This brought our morale down, as we all wanted to do the work not for the money, but to serve the country," said Khan.

THE ‘U’ TURN

According to Khan, a rat hole miner can do things that machines can’t. He got a chance to show this on November 28, the day the auger machine broke down.

“This was not our regular rat-hole mining. In the initial hours, our work was hindered by the large metal pieces of the auger machine’s blades in the metal pipes. Also, there were many iron pipes and girders in the debris that had to be cut to pave the way through the debris. We had to use gas-cutters for it. Generally, gas-cutting is rarely used for rat mining. In this case, the immense heat from gas-cutters made our task even more difficult," Khan further recollected.

DUG 18 METERS IN 28 HOURS

Using miniature chisels, hammers, spade, forks, trowels and shovels, the specialised tools for rat hole mining, Khan said they ended up digging an 18-meter-long tunnel through the debris, which eventually led to the trapped workers, in 28 hours. “It was a memorable moment for all of us. It was the prayers of people from across the nation that motivated us to work round-the-clock and dig 18 meters in mere 28 hours, which is next to impossible during regular rat hole mining," he said.

KHAN’S APPEAL

Although a dangerous profession, Khan said they have to stay in it to feed the family. “We are illiterate and don’t know any other work, hence we don’t have any other option than to stick to this procession. What is more painful is that despite so much pain and threat to life, the wages of a rat hole miner are the same as a regular labourer. I urge the Centre and State Government to help us in any way possible, so that we can earn enough to meet our financial needs," Khan said.

‘SERVED COUNTRY IN OUR WAY’

Monu Kumar, another rat hole miner from UP’s Bulandshahr, said that for them, “the entire operation was no less than fighting on Line of Control (LoC)". “I am happy that the mission was successfully accomplished," said Kumar. “I am happy that I managed to serve the country in my own way."