PRESENT SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
AND FUTURE PROSPECTS
FOR JHARIA COALFIELD
Prof. (Dr.) N C Saxena,
Centre of Mining Environment, & Dean (P&RG), Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
ABSTRACT
The analysis of the present overall status, including the social status, of Jharia
coalfield reveals that the society in the coalfield will continue to face the
constraints if suitable long term measures are not planned and implemented urgently.
It seems that about 75% of the total proved coal reserves worth about Rs 855,000
crore are still available in the coalfield and if their exploitation with due
regard to technological, social, environmental and economic issues is not done
these may be lost. It has, therefore, been suggested that these coal reserved
should be declared as National Resource.
In order to exploit the coal resource the most viable option seems to be overall
opencasting with modern state-of-art resettlement and rehabilitation of the PAPs
to take care of their emotional, mental and physical needs to achieve the desired
quality of life. Even an expenditure of Rs 30,000 to 50,000 crore (about 3.51-5.84%
of the total value of coal still available) on this R&R can be justified in view
of the conservation of the National Resource and overall development of the area.
It has been suggested that a Think Tank be formed for developing an appropriate
strategy for the long term development of the coalfield.
It is felt that the policy makers, planners and decision makers at the state and
central levels will be required to take bold decisions in the interest of not
only the nation but also for the benefit of the society of the coalfield and the
surrounding area.
Key Words : Jharia coalfield, social environment,
quality of life, rehabilitation & resettlement, socio-techno-political will, National
Resource, Think Tank, and land use.
OVERVIEW
Jharia coalfield is probably one of the most talked about coal mining area not
only in the country but also in many countries abroad due to its typical characteristics
and unique status and problems. The only storehouse of prime coking coal in the
country the coalfield has been witnessing mining since 1894 and is probably one
of the most densely populated coal mining areas in the world. The coalfield having
about 40 workable coal seams in close proximity in coal bearing strata of thickness
varying from a few meters to about 600 m has probably the maximum seam density
anywhere in the world.
Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Tata Iron & Steel Company (TISCO) and Indian
Iron & Steel Company (IISCO) are the three mining companies operating in the coal
mining activities in the 450 sq km area of the coalfield. Of the total area of
the coalfield the land owned by these companies is about 50% and the remaining
land is owned by various government agencies and departments and private parties.
Coal mining is the prime human occupation in the coalfield and it employs about
100,000 people, which comprise of about 10% of the total population of the coalfield.
In addition to coal mining there are other coal based activities, e.g., transportation,
business, etc. There is hardly any coal based industry over the coal bearing area.
Of the total surface area of the coalfield about one-third is used in the busties,
colonies, built-up area, etc. having more then 100 organized and un-organized
settlements, about 40% in dry agriculture as all the agricultural activities in
the coalfield are dependent on rain and only in a small area round the year availability
of water is seen, about 15% of the area is used in mining and associated activities
including the overburden dumps, open pits, etc., and the remaining area is used
in the other human and natural activities.
The coalfield has a vast number of streams and Damodar river is the main drain
of the area. The mining and associated activities have altered the surface drainage
pattern of the coalfield to a great extent and in the last century more than 100
km of the natural streams/drains have vanished from the coalfield area. Damodar
river is considered to be one of the most polluted river in the country.
To support the mining and associated activities taking place, the coalfield has
a vast network of railway lines and roads.
Within a decade after independence the potential of the coalfield was realized
and an industrial zone near Sindri was planned on the basis of the consideration
of the availability of coal for various industrial activities, e.g., cement, fertilizer,
etc. Presently this industrial area is facing acute problems as all major industries
are on the verge of closer. There seems to be practically no development of the
coal based industries in Dhanbad district in the last decade and a half.
Out of the total proved reserves of coal in the coalfield of the order of 11.4
billion tonne only about 20-25% have been extracted or consumed by fires since
inception of mining. The remaining 75% of the coal is still available. Proper
exploitation of the coal reserves is being hampered in the coalfield due to the
following constraints.
1. Presence of a large number of settlements and surface water bodies.
2. Presence of a large network of roads and railway lines on the surface.
3. Presence of a large number (about 70) of mine fires in the coalfield area.
4. Water-logging of old developed and other workings.
5. The workings at many place in the upper seams are standing on developed/reduced
pillars, which are not permitting proper exploitation of the lower seams.
Taking a glance on the social and environmental status of the coalfield it can
be noticed that neither the quality of life in the coalfield nor the environmental
status is any where near the desired status. With such a high level of economic
activities taking place in the coalfield one would have expected the overall quality
of life of the area to be at par with other areas having a similar level of the
economic activities. The social and economic benefits of the high level of the
economic activities are not being derived in the coalfield and the surrounding
areas. Some of the striking features are as given below.