Rat-hole Mining

This type of manual drilling is most prevalent in Meghalaya and is done by skilled professionals. Usually only wide enough for one person to fit into, narrow trenches are excavated into the earth. The miner uses bamboo ladders and a rope to descend into the holes after they have been dug. This technique, which is thought to be quite dangerous, is typically employed to remove coal. Due to the rising number of miners dying from asphyxiation and oxygen deprivation, it is prohibited in several nations.