Coal mining in India has a human cost

India's richest coalfields pose a significant threat to the workers and residents living in those areas. The dangers of subsidence and long-lasting coal fires, some of which have been burning for more than a century, present a clear and immediate risk to thousands of people in the Jharkhand and Raniganj regions, located approximately 300 kilometers northwest of Kolkata.

Force vulnerable migrant workers

Precarious conditions often force vulnerable migrant workers and others to abruptly abandon everything and flee, putting their lives at risk. This sudden exodus results in job and income loss, social disintegration, and increased poverty as these people struggle to find work and settle in new places.

In the coalfields of Jharia, where underground fires have been burning for more than a century, houses frequently catch fire due to sudden land subsidence, causing deaths and forcing families to abandon their properties and flee. While such incidents are common in Jharia, the region also produces India's best-quality coal, which accounted for 44 percent of the country's primary energy demand in 2020.

Despite the constant danger, many mine workers find it difficult to migrate and settle elsewhere due to fear of losing their daily source of income from coal harvesting. With no viable alternatives to earn a living, collecting and selling high-quality burned charcoal on the market becomes their only means of livelihood.

Dangers of living near coal mine

Furthermore, even if people want to move away from the dangers of living near a coal mine, the lack of resettlement and rehabilitation programs often prevents them from finding suitable places to relocate. The Jharia Development and Rehabilitation Authority was established to provide people with alternative employment opportunities and assist in their resettlement to safer environments.

However, moving to stable land away from the coal mines presents obstacles to earning a living, as wages can be insufficient and there are few job opportunities in manufacturing industries and other sectors that do not require formal education. Consequently, people choose to return to their dilapidated homes and engage in informal mining, despite the constant dangers involved.

The proportion of homeless people involved in illegal coal mining is also alarmingly high, rendering sustainability plans ineffective as many choose not to settle elsewhere. India's Central Institute of Mine Planning and Design has identified more than eight high-risk and unstable mining areas in the Raniganj coalfield, putting more than 100,000 people at risk of forced displacement due to building collapses, ground subsidence, mine fires or other accidents.

Land subsidence

The Ratibati mine in the Raniganj Community Development Block is highly susceptible to land subsidence due to the vacant maze below the surface, posing a threat to a population of over 30,000 who may face imminent landslides or be victims of a sudden mobility of the earth.

There have been cases of houses collapsing in villages like Parashkol, Jambad, Majhipara and others near the coal mines in the Ondal Block, when the ground beneath them gave way. In 2020, a significant number of people had to flee due to subsidence of the ground at the Madhabpur open pit mine in Raniganj Coalfield, and more than 400 people sought refuge elsewhere as their houses cracked or collapsed.

Typically, those displaced by such events are offered compensation and resettlement to safer places for the land and houses they have lost, and a family member is provided with a government job. However, reclamation agencies claim that many residents trespass on land owned by Coal India Limited and then try to claim remediation benefits.

Local people attribute the lack of coordination between the Asansol Durgapur Development Authority, officials of the mining company Eastern Coalfields Limited and the West Bengal housing department for the failure to implement the rehabilitation packages.

Outbreaks of mine fires

In cases of land subsidence and outbreaks of mine fires, residents living near coal mines are sometimes quickly relocated to derelict Eastern Coalfields Limited quarters that have only piped water connections. However, broken pipes due to land subsidence can make drinking water unavailable, leaving people struggling with daily life amid these uncertainties.

The September 2021 deluge in the Raniganj mining basin flooded open pit mines and stranded people in submerged areas near coal mines for almost a week without access to water, food and medical supplies. The coal seams remained inaccessible to workers for about three months. Disaster response forces from the West Bengal Civil Defense and Disaster Management Department had to rescue and relocate the affected people from their flooded homes.

Production of coal in India

The mass movement of people into coal mining regions is inevitable in many ways. Coal mining attracts poor and marginalized people who depend on collecting half-burned coal for a living, despite the risks to their lives.

Since the expansion, operation and production of coal in India contributes to land instability, subsidence and fire, it raises questions about whether the continuation of coal mining operations is compatible with global efforts to reduce carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions.

This current scenario calls for comprehensive planning for a transition to sustainable energy, which must include the development of alternative livelihoods for residents who depend on coal harvesting and informal mining.

This content is originally published under the Creative Commons license by 360info™. The Ground Report editorial team has made some changes to the original version.

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