NITI Aayog team inspects Dhanbad mines, meets families in fire zone

A high-powered team of the NITI Aayog, headed by Deputy Chairman Rajiv Kumar, inspected the underground mines of Bharat Coking Coal Limited here on Tuesday and sought early rehabilitation of residents living in the fire and subsidence zone of the coal belt.

Kumar told reporters here that the team wanted to ascertain the reasons behind the slow pace of rehabilitation in Jharia, besides looking into the possibilities of increasing coal production.

"We have to increase production of coal to cater to the requirement of the steel sector and end dependence on foreign countries. No doubt, the Jharia belt has affected mining, but we will have to enhance production by checking the fire," he said.

With over a century-long history of mining, Jharia's surface is filled with cracks and pits that continuously release toxic gases and fire. Subsidence or the collapse of surface land is common in the area.

The deputy chairman of the policy think tank, who met the families living in the fire zone, said he tried to talk to the residents to find out why they were taking time to shift to safer zones.

When told that outsourcing companies engaged with the BCCL do not pay minimum wages to the labourers, Kumar said he would report it to the government.

"I have held discussions with the officers of the BCCL and the district administration about offering employment to the rehabilitated people," he added.

Among others who were present at the press conference were BCCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Rajiv Sharan and Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner A Dodde, who also heads the Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority.

A survey conducted in 2017 by three agencies -- Central Institute of Mineral Fuel Research, Indian School of Mines and Whiz Mantra Educational Solution -- found out that around 91,000 families of non-coal workers were residing in the fire and subsidence areas of Jharia.

The families of the coal workers have been shifted to BCCL residential quarters.