New Delhi, January 4: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Centre and Meghalaya to file a status report before it by January 7 on steps and progress of the rescue operation of 15 trapped miners in Meghalaya. The miners have been trapped in an illegal flooded coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills since 13th December 2018. The top court told the Centre and the state government to take action against the mine owners, adding that the mine workers are not the ones who should be suffering. What Is Rat-Hole Mining? 15 Meghalaya Miners Trapped in Illegal Mine Waits for Help From Government.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the SC that the mine is illegal, it’s not maintained properly and no blueprints of the mine are available. Mehta added saying that specialised divers of the Indian Navy were called but the operation is difficult as is there is a river nearby.

On Thursday, the top Court expressed dissatisfaction over the steps taken by the Meghalaya government to rescue the miners saying “prompt, immediate and effective” operation is needed to rescue them as it was a matter of life and death. “Every minute counts” for those trapped there for almost three weeks, it said, urging the state government to bring them out dead or alive.  Meghalaya Mining Mishap: Operations to Rescue 15 Trapped Miners Continue in East Jaintia Hills District.

According to reports, Meghalaya Police have arrested the owner of the mine. Reports inform that 32-year-old Jrin Shullet has been arrested on the charges including causing death by negligence and mining without permission. The miners have been trapped in the rat-hole mine for 22 days now.

The NDRF and Navy divers have been taking all efforts to pump out the water from the mine and look for the trapped miners. However, the chilling water has hampered the rescue work as the water level remained unchanged in the 370-feet-deep shaft in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills district.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2019 01:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).