The underground inferno in Jharia is posing a stern threat to the Katras-Dhanbad Road. The Director General of Mines and Safety’s (DGMS) report reveals that the underground fire is about 150 meters close to the Katras-Dhanbad road at Angarpathra while 20 meters at Pandeydih.
Recently communication on Dhanbad-Chandrapura Railway line was completely closed due to the threat of underground fire and land subsidence in Jharia and Raniganj Coal Field areas. “The underground fire and gas are moving very fast towards the road. Officials are on move to get diverted root earliest, as the diversion (diverted root) is the only alternative option left,” said AK Dutta General Manger Sijua Area BCCL. Underground fire is the stern threat for the people residing in these areas; our first priority is to shift them into a safe place. At least 95 colonies have been identified to be shifted first”, he added. According to the 2009 survey conducted by Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority, over 54,000 families living in the danger zone are to be entitled for rehabilitation.
We are planning to rehabilitate people in prefabricated houses built with the latest technology, said an official. “We have targeted to rehabilitate 40 thousand families in such houses surrounded with facilities”, added the official. Besides illegal mining, underground inferno is the major reason behind the land subsidence which still continued in the various localities of Dhanbad and Bokaro. It not only create fear among local residents but also poses stern threat to the four lanes Grand Trunk (GT) Road, National Highways, Indian railway in Dhanbad, Bokaro and in Raniganj (WB).
