The National Green Tribunal had in 2014 banned "Rat Hole" mining in Meghalaya (File Photo)Bhangnamari, Assam: Solibar Rahman stopped working in Meghalaya's illegal coal mines in 2012.

The native of Bhangnamari village in western Assam's Chirang district is, however, confident of his skills and is now bracing for one last attempt to rappel down 380-foot coal mine at Ksan in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills district to search for his son, who had not returned from mine since December 13.The coal mine was flooded around 8.30 am on December 13, just a few hours after 22 miners went down below to 380 feet to extract more coal.

While five miners had a miraculous escape and survived, rescuers have failed to trace Rahman's 19-year-old-son Monirul Islam and rest of miners who got trapped by sudden deluge."I have worked in coal mines of Meghalaya for 30 years.

I know tricks how to climb up and down mines.

I want to go there once water is flushed out.

My son is there and I must go look for him," Solibar Rahman told this correspondent.A septuagenarian, Rahman is a first generation miner who worked in different coal mines of Meghalaya between 1983 and 2012.

He stopped working as his three sons grew up and started taking responsibility of family.

Monirul's elder brother Manik Ali works in a different coal mine."I request Meghalaya government to give me an opportunity to go and look for my son in mine.

After water is flushed out, I think we can go inside and search for trapped persons.

I have seen many deaths in coal mines in my 30 years of work there.

I have taken out bodies of my colleagues from coal mines," said Mr Rahman.He accused government of delaying rescue operation.

"The government should have used high-powered pumps from day one to rescue trapped miners.

It's not possible to dry out a mine by using normal pumps," Mr Rahman pointed out.While State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Rescue Force (NDRF) initially started rescue operation with limited manpower and machines, Coal India Limited (CIL), Indian Navy and Odisha fire service joined rescue operation much later -- on December 27."The government can do anything they wish.

I am an illiterate person but I knew from day one that pumps with more than 120 HP will be required to pump out water.

How come government is now aware of that," Mr Rahman asked.Four young men of Bhangnamari village were working in ill-fated coal mine when tragedy struck on December 13.

While one of them, Saheb Ali, could survive by holding on to an electric wire hanging from top, there is no news so far about 15 others.Those who work in Meghalaya's illegal coal mines are aware of risks involved.

However, extreme poverty and lack of employment opportunities leave them limited options, forcing them to take up mining and risking their lives.The National Green Tribunal had, in 2014, banned "Rat Hole" mining in Meghalaya due to environmental impact on some rivers downstream.

However, this continued unabated despite a massive hue and cry by several NGOs and civil society organisations, which leads one to believe there is a nexus between politicians and "coal mafia", which wants illegal trade to continue.In fact, anti-corruption activist Agnes Kharshiing and two of her colleagues were attacked by suspected coal mafia members in November 2018 when they were returning from East Jaintia Hills.

Kharshiing, who heads Civil Society Womens' Organisation (CSWO), had lodged a complaint against illegal mining and transportation of coal before she was attacked.Reacting to attack, former Meghalaya Meghalaya Home Minister RG Lyngdoh had told media that assault points to seriousness of illegal coal mining in Jaintia Hills.Prior to attack on Kharshiing, students' leader Poipynhun Majawa, based in East Jaintia Hills district, was found murdered under mysterious circumstances in March 2018.