Search the Internet          Tips

Bagdigi disaster could have been averted: DGMS

The Directorate General of Mine Safety Friday said if the maps provided by the Bharat Coking Coal Limited had been accurate, the Bagdihi mine disaster would not have taken place.

"Had the maps been accurate, the tragedy would not have happened," the DGMS R L Arora, told PTI when asked to comment on the navy's assertion that the search since February 4 by its divers at the mine was severely hampered by absence of accurate blueprints of the mine.

Asked on the role of the DGMS in ascertaining the accuracy of maps of mines, Arora said, "We can only make a sample check of mines as we are a small organisation with only 150 officers countrywide. There are 600 coal mines and thousands of other mines.''

"We can visit a mine only three to four times during a year. But mind you, these are not complete inspections. To completely check a mine as large as Bagdigi takes seven to 10 days," he said.

The manpower required to check all mines thoroughly would require 10 times the present strength, he said.

Since a complete check of mines was not possible, Arora said that the managements of mines were 'motivated' to assess their requirements and raise their safety standards.

A navy spokesman had said in New Delhi Thursday that the absence of proper blueprints at Bagdigi prompted divers to repeatedly change their search areas to cover different tunnels. The divers were later withdrawn on the direction of the coal authorities.

Tell us what you think of this report