Jharia: Even after the expiration of the Jharia Master Plan (JMP) for fire dousing in the coalfield and rehabilitation of the affected people in August 2021, the Ministry of Coal today claimed it continues to review the progression of activities undertaken by the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA) on a biweekly and monthly basis.
The Coal Ministry also referred to a “notable” reduction in fire sites, “successful” relocation and rehabilitation of affected families, and “steady” progress in coal extraction. “These accomplishments stand as a testament to the Ministry’s proactive stance and unwavering determination to secure a brighter and safer future for the people of Jharia. The Ministry’s efforts have played a pivotal role in transforming a once-troubled region into a symbol of progress and prosperity,” it stated.
“The fire-affected area has significantly reduced from 77 sites (Pre-Nationalization) to 67 sites (As per Jharia Master Plan,2009) covering 17.32 square kilometres to 27 sites covering 1.8 square kilometres according to surveys conducted in 2021. So far, approximately 21 High-power committee meetings have taken place,” the Ministry stated. It mentioned that the BCCL undertook significant efforts to combat the fires, implementing 27 fire projects that harnessed the best available technology. These efforts included techniques like surface sealing, digging, trenching, infusion of inert gas, and remote sand-bentonite mixture flushing.
Additionally, the Ministry said it is continuing to fund ongoing projects that were undertaken during the expiration of the Jharia Master Plan for fire dousing and rehabilitation, in consultation and coordination with the State Government. “The efforts of the Ministry of Coal in tackling the fires, resettling the affected families, and ensuring the sustainable extraction of coal have laid the groundwork for a brighter future,” it claimed.
Moreover, a committee constituted in 2022 and headed by Secretary Coal, has been reviewing the Jharia Master Plan with a focus on extinguishing fires, rehabilitating affected families, and proposing “a way forward”. The Ministry said that this committee formulated an action plan, which was subsequently approved by the Committee of Secretaries. “During the Committee of Secretaries meeting, several key decisions were made, mainly regarding the cut-off date. Cash compensation will be offered instead of further house construction, and ownership rights will be granted to the affected families. Additionally, essential amenities such as schools, dispensaries, roads, water supply, and sanitation facilities will be developed for houses that are already constructed or currently under construction,” the Ministry said. It added: “Amidst the ongoing rehabilitation efforts, the projection for coal evacuation remained a priority. Out of the estimated 107MT of coal in 16 locations, ~43 MT had been extracted by June 2023, the value of which is about Rs. 14,000 crores.”
In the face of “formidable challenges”, the Ministry of Coal in a statement released today reiterated its resolve and commitment to bringing about positive changes in Jharia. It said the resettlement and rehabilitation work are being conducted in “well-organized phases”. It informed that initially, landowners will receive compensation for their land or they are allocated suitable housing alternatives. After this, land acquisition for coal extraction will be undertaken, and once the coal extraction is successfully completed in the entire area, it will be “scientifically” closed down. Subsequently, the entire region will undergo the process of de-coaling.
It may be mentioned that coal mines in Jharia Coalfield date back to 1916 when the first incidence of fire was reported. Since then, a number of fires have occurred within the overburden debris. Prior to nationalization, these mines were privately owned and operated with a profit-driven approach and mining methods were unscientific with the least concern for safety, conservation and the environment. This practice resulted in severe land degradation, subsidence, coal mine fires and other socio-environmental problems.
After nationalization, a Polish team and Indian experts were appointed in 1978 to study the Jharia coal fire predicament. According to the investigations, 77 fires across 41 collieries of BCCL were identified. In 1996, the Government of India constituted a High-Power Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Ministry of Coal to review the problems of fire and subsidence in the Jharia Coal Field (JCF). To address these fires and rehabilitate the residents in the vicinity two masterplans were formulated in 1999, later revised and updated in 2004 which was based on enhanced fire dealing efforts of BCCL and Ministry of Coal. This comprehensive Master Plan covered two aspects. Firstly, focus on fire management, which included identification of fire areas, selection of technologies to deal with the fires, prioritizing the implementation and assessment of tentative fund requirements and secondly, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) of the affected people due to fire and subsidence including identification of affected sites, resettlement sites and assessment of tentative fund requirement.
Finally, the Jharia Master Plan (JMP) for dealing with Fire, Subsidence and Rehabilitation was approved on August 12, 2009, by the Government of India with an implementation period of 10 years and a pre-implementation period of two years with an estimated investment of Rs. 7112.11 crores. The master plan identified 595 sites that needed to be rehabilitated, covering an area of 25.70 square kilometres.
According to JMP, housing emerged as a major component in rehabilitation, with due consideration given to skill development, employment opportunities, and inclusive shifting. The JMP identified three categories of the population which needed rehabilitation: legal title holders, non-legal title holders, and families of BCCL employees. Initially, BCCL was to construct 25,000 houses, but due to superannuation and other reasons, the number of required houses was reduced to 15,713. Till date, the Ministry said, the BCCL has constructed 11,798 houses, and the remaining houses are under construction. Out of the 15,713 houses, 8,000 houses will be allotted by the Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA) to legal titleholder families.
The Ministry of Coal stated today that it has been closely monitoring fire incidents and rehabilitation efforts. It referred to High-Power Central Committee (HPCC) meetings, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Coal, which were being held to oversee the progress of the Jharia Master Plan.
While facing numerous challenges in the implementation of the approved Jharia Master Plan, the Ministry of Coal said it displayed “firm determination and dedication” to tackle them head-on. The complexities ranged from technological limitations in assessing underground fires to the perception among affected families that the plan was aimed at acquiring land for coal mining rather than addressing fire and subsidence hazards. “Non-acceptance of the rehabilitation package by land owners, the absence of a legal framework for land rights transfer to JRDA complicated the process of rehabilitation,” the Ministry stated.
“Despite the array of challenges, the Ministry of Coal worked tirelessly to overcome each obstacle and demonstrated remarkable resilience and achieved significant progress,” the Ministry claimed. Furthermore, it informed that to address resettlement and rehabilitation needs, extensive planning was undertaken, including the diversion of rails, roads, and surface infrastructure. “Detailed project reports (DPRs) were prepared to support affected families, with significant progress made in constructing new houses. Substantial funds were allocated for fire management and rehabilitation, emphasizing the importance of these efforts,” it claimed.
-global bihari bureau
