Jharkhand’s Balumath chokes on coal dust, traders shut shops
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, September 18: Balumath, a busy coal belt in Latehar district, saw an unusual shutdown on Friday as…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 18: Balumath, a busy coal belt in Latehar district, saw an unusual shutdown on Friday as traders and businessmen collectively downed their shutters to draw attention to what they described as worsening dust pollution, noise, and round-the-clock traffic from coal-laden and empty tipper trucks.
The protest has brought the environmental and public health costs of heavy coal transportation through the town’s main market into sharp focus. Traders said their demand was not against the coal industry but for measures that would allow the industry and the town to coexist without turning the market into a dust- and traffic-choked zone.
Never in the block’s history over the past three decades, sources said, has there been such a shutdown by traders, big and small, centred primarily on concerns over air pollution, noise and road congestion.
Coal trucks dominate Balumath’s main market
NH 22 passes through the main market area of Balumath. The presence of CCL-owned collieries in the area means coal-loaded and empty tipper trucks regularly pass through the market on their way to and from the railway coal siding.
According to traders, the continuous movement of heavy vehicles has made dust, noise and traffic jams a daily affair.
“First, dust. It’s a major health hazard. Here in Balumath, a hanky is far more popular than gamcha. Sneezing is quite a common sight in the Balumath market,” said a local resident over the phone.
Popular trader Chandrakant Gupta alias Monu Babu said the movement of empty and loaded tipper trucks had made congestion and noise a constant feature of life in the market.
“We are not against the coal industry. Let it flourish. We want a bypass at least for the market area through which the tipper trucks keep coming in and going out,” he said.
Traders seek balance between coal economy and public life
The shutdown reflects a growing demand from traders for a balance between the economic activity generated by coal transportation and the everyday concerns of people living and working along the route.
For businesses operating in the market, the problem is not limited to traffic congestion. Traders say dust generated by the continuous movement of heavy vehicles has become an everyday concern, while the noise from trucks adds to the discomfort.
Their immediate demand is for a bypass or an alternative route that would divert heavy coal traffic away from the densely occupied market area.
Latehar DC acknowledges the problem
Latehar DC Sandip Kumar acknowledged the concerns raised by the traders.
“Their problems are genuine. It’s NH 22. Coal vehicles negotiate it round the clock.”
On the demand for a bypass, however, the DC said the availability of suitable land was a major hurdle.
“As for a bypass, there is no suitable land for it. It has complicated the situation,” he said.
The absence of a suitable alternative route has meant that heavy coal traffic continues to pass through the market, keeping the issue alive.
Sprinklers planned to tackle dust
On the immediate issue of dust pollution, the DC said coal operators had been asked to introduce a sprinkler system to spray water on NH 22.
According to him, water spraying has been directed to take place every two hours along the market stretch and some areas beyond it.
“The coal operators must come forward to render community welfare measures,” the DC said.
The measure is aimed at reducing the dust generated by the continuous movement of tipper trucks, although traders are also seeking a longer-term solution to the traffic problem.
Encroachment adds to the traffic problem
Encroachment along NH 22 is another major challenge in Balumath.
Asked whether encroachment was also an issue, the DC responded: “It’s a huge one.”
The combination of heavy coal vehicle movement, market activity and encroachment has made traffic management more difficult in the Balumath market area.
Shutdown remains peaceful
Despite the scale of the shutdown, there was no law and order problem, said Balumath police station officer-in-charge Anubhav Sinha.
“It’s a peaceful shutdown. There is no law-and-order issue,” he said.
The shutdown has placed Balumath’s pollution and traffic concerns firmly in the spotlight. At the heart of the traders’ demand is a simple proposition: coal transportation can continue to support the local economy, but heavy vehicles should not have to pass continuously through the heart of the town.
