Army joins rescue operations to track trapped miners in Meghalaya
Shillong, Jan 29 : The Indian Army has joined the multi-agency operations to search for the remaining 13 miners trapped inside a 370-foot-deep coal mine in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district, officials said on Tuesday.
"The Indian Navy had requested the Army to assist in rescue operations by providing administrative support and it has now set up camps at the site," defence spokesperson Ratnakar Singh told PTI.
An Army team comprising about 20-25 members has been deployed to support the Navy, he said.
"This is only administrative support to the Navy in case need be, for efficient, smooth and round-the-clock operations," Singh added.
Nearly 200 rescue personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the Indian Navy, Odisha Fire Service and state agencies are involved in the search-and-rescue operation.
Although two decomposed bodies of the miners have been found over 200 feet away from the bottom of the main shaft, only one of them could be pulled out and was handed over to family members in Assam.
Efforts are underway to retrieve the remains of the second miner, but the operation is taking longer as there are many obstacles like the turbidity of water, the officials said.
On December 13, water from the nearby Lytein River flooded a network of tunnels in the illegal rat-hole coal mine in Lumthari village of East Jaintia Hills, trapping the 15 men and prompting the multiple-agency rescue attempt.
The owner of the mine, Krip Chullet, was arrested from his home on December 14. His accomplices are on the run.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
