SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 24: Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday announced that families displaced from the Jharia fire zone will be provided permanent flats on a lease basis at Belgadia Township.
Addressing a programme at the township, the minister said the flats would offer long-term security, allowing families to live there for generations, though the houses cannot be sold.
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During the event, the minister also inaugurated a series of development projects aimed at improving infrastructure and living conditions at Belgadia Township, which has been developed to rehabilitate residents from unsafe areas of the Jharia coalfield.
Jharia Master Plan and scale of displacement
Under the Jharia Master Plan, residential quarters have been constructed for people living in hazardous zones affected by underground fires, land subsidence and gas emissions in the Jharia coalfield of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
According to authorised agencies, nearly 1.4 lakh residents need to be relocated to safer locations due to these risks.
The urgency of rehabilitation efforts increased after the emission of carbon monoxide gas in the Kenduadih area of BCCL following December 3, an incident in which two women died and over 100 residents fell ill.
Centre and state step up rehabilitation efforts
Following the Kenduadih incident, the Union Ministry of Coal, Coal India Limited (CIL), BCCL and the Jharkhand government intensified efforts to relocate affected families. However, several residents have expressed reluctance to shift permanently to Belgadia Township, citing concerns over the lack of livelihood opportunities and demanding that gas emissions in their native areas be controlled.
The union minister said both the Centre and the state government are committed to rehabilitating residents from dangerous zones in safe locations. He added that the district administration, BCCL and the Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA) are working collectively in the interest of the displaced families.
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PM monitoring situation
G Kishan Reddy said the Prime Minister is reviewing the situation in the Jharia fire zone on a monthly basis, underlining the seriousness of the issue. He stated that the primary objective of developing Belgadia Township is to ensure the safety of residents while improving their standard of living, adding that Jharia Master Plan-II has been prepared with this goal in mind.
The minister also interacted with residents of Belgadia Township and assured them that the Prime Minister is committed to resolving their problems.
Coal India chairman B Sairam, BCCL chairman-cum-managing director Manoj Agrawal, Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan, SSP Prabhat Kumar and Dhanbad MP Dhulu Mahto were among those present at the event.
