50,000 families to be moved from Jharia fire zone

A high-level meeting of the JAP held recently in Dhanbad decided that it would issue a recommendation to the government asking it to directly or indirectly build eight new colonies between Dhanbad and Raniganj to resettle over 50,000 families displaced from the Jharia and Raniganj coal bearing areas.

These families were now living on top of zones ravaged by underground coal fires raging inside abandoned mines.

As the fires had been burning for over a decade, the area had become extremely dangerous and unsuitable for human habitation.

Public sector companies were expected to be entrusted the job for building the colonies, which would require around 2,500 acres.

The land was proposed to be acquired both by the Jharkhand and West Bengal state governments.

The subsequent construction of the new townships for the displaced residents would cost an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.

These crucial decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by Syaram Prasad Sinha, chairman of Jharia Development and Rehabilitation Authority (JDRA), the body empowered to draft a plan for the fire-ravaged zone.

Senior officials from Coal India Limited (CIL), Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDI) and Central Mining & Research Institute (CMRI)) were present in the meeting.

According to the Dhanbad deputy commissioner (DC) Ajay Kumar Singh, a global tender would be floated for the establishment of the eight townships.

JDRA decided at the same meeting to recommend a detailed survey for the relocation and shifting of four railway lines which were now sitting on top of zone devastated by the underground fires.

The fires were surrounded by non-coal bearing areas.

The Dhanbad-Jharia railway line had already abandoned owing to the intensity of underground fire under the tracks.

It was strongly recommended that dismantling of the Dhanbad-Chandrapura, Pathardih-Gonudih, Patardih-Adra and Gomoh-Bhaga sections of the railway tracks be done immediately and that the tracks be shifted to non-coal bearing zones.