Black hole — Hive

Chequered history

These pits have virtually become mining black holes, claiming many young lives over last few years. In September last year, seven children drowned while bathing in a rain water-filled pit near a stone-crushing site in Guna district. Following the incident, magisterial probe was instituted and a case was lodged for causing “death by negligence” against the lease holder of the stone quarry.

In another incident, three kids drowned last year in a rainwater-filled pit in Sagar district. There have been many such incidents in the past few years as government miserably failed in ensuring closure or fencing of the pits. Most of such mining pits are created wherever there is a large scale mining or excavation for murram (laterite) or gitti (crushed stones) generally for development projects and construction activities.

Due to shortage of staff in the districts, there is poor monitoring and enforcement of mining laws in the state. As a result of which many mining and quarrying pits are left unfenced or unfilled. In rainy season such pits become death traps for the local people and animals.

Sources in the mining department said they have sent a proposal for recruitment of 900 people in the department so that loopholes in monitoring due to paucity of manpower could be plugged.