Imagine the situation of the 41 workers who were stranded for 17 days under the collapsed tunnel debris in Uttarakhand. It must have felt like a forced staycation that could have cost them their lives. Fortunately, they’re now evacuated in a rescue operation by Indian rescuers led by rat miners- the unsung heroes – who drilled through rocks and debris in an operation that lasted for almost 400 hours. The 41 workers are fine after a strenuous rescue operation. Munna Qureshi, the initial responder to reach the workers, has emerged as the superhero of this life-saving operation.
A 29-year-old rat-hole mining expert, Munna Qureshi works at a company specialising in sewer and water line clearance in Delhi and was among the skilled rat-hole miners brought to Uttarakhand on Monday with a mission to win over the final 12 meters of debris with precision and expertise.
“Work of laying pipes in the tunnel to take out workers has been completed,” tweeted the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. The Uttarakhand CM extended gratitude to Baba Baukh Nag Ji, a Hindu deity and the countless Indians whose prayers supported both the men trapped and the relentless rescuers.
The prime minister of India expressed gratitude, stating that he saluted the spirit of all the workers involved in the rescue efforts and that their heroic efforts had given a new lease of life to the labourers.
With everyone hoping and praying for the safety of the workers trapped for more than half of the month, the massive rescue effort – hailed as India’s largest to date – grabbed international attention. However, the rat hole miners are considered unsung heroes who became part of the rescue operation and worked hard with the pace of flash.
In Uttarakhand’s demanding landscape, numerous government agencies pooled substantial foreign resources, including the US-made auger machine non-stop. However, it was the rat-hole miners who made the crucial breakthrough.
Munna Qureshi recalled that he saw the 41 stranded workers on Tuesday night after removing the last piece of rock. “They hugged me, erupted in applause, and expressed heartfelt gratitude,” he said, describing the moment.
Munna Qureshi said he couldn’t contain his happiness, adding that he did this for his fellow workers. He said the respect he got from the trapped workers was something he would remember his entire life.
Eventually, more rat-hole miners Monu Kumar, Wakeel Khan, Feroz, Parsadi Lodhi, and Vipin Rajout joined the difficult mission and made his way to the trapped workers. Grateful for a breakthrough from the other side, the workers lifted the miners out of joy and happiness. One of the miners said, “They offered me almonds.” Before the NDRF showed up to rescue the men who were trapped, the miners stayed there for roughly thirty minutes.
The president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association in Geneva, Arnold Dix, who is also a professor and barrister, has been stationed in Uttarkashi since the start of the rescue operation. He’s been helping rescue teams and updating the media on the operation’s progress, earning respect for being such a sport for stepping in to assist during this crisis.
He was regularly present at the rescue site throughout the lengthy operation, and described the workers’ successful rescue as nothing short of a “miracle.”
Rat-hole mining is not a familiar word to all. In India, coal was extracted via rat hole mining from thin, level strata. The term refers to the tiny holes typically only large enough for one person to descend and retrieve the coal.
The practice was banned in 2014 following immense criticism but came as a blessing in 2023 when nothing worked. In 2014, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) prohibited this method and upheld the ban in 2015. The NGT noted that rat-hole mining caused numerous incidents during the rainy season when water flooded the mining areas, leading to tragic fatalities of several individuals, including employees and workers.
