LAGATAR24 NETWORK
Dhanbad, Aug 19: The residents living in dangerous zone of Jharia mines fire would be now shifted at a safe place weekly.
New Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhanbad cum Managing Director of Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA) Barun Ranjan has directed to shift at least 10 to 15 families of a dangerous zone in a group per week.
The DC while holding a review meeting of the JRDA took situation of Jharia mines fire seriously and directed the concerned officials to prepare an action plan so that residents of Jharia fire zone could be shifted at a safe place weekly.
In monsoon, the fire area becomes more dangerous. On August 14, Shyam Bahadur Bhuyan (43), his sons Arun Kumar (14) and Tarun Kumar were sleeping in the room at night and suddenly caved in 5 metres deep following subsidence in the fire affected Jogta 11 no. basti of Sizua. However, they were rescued by neighbours.
The DC has asked the officials to issue a notice if people are not shifting from dangerous zone. He also asked them to ensure that no new construction (encroachment) takes place after shifting of residents from the dangerous zone.
As per 2019 survey, 1.4 lakhs families are living in Jharia mines fire zone in which 32,064 are legal title holders (LTH) of the land while 72,882 are unauthorised families illegally living on land of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) colliery.
Under Jharia Master Plan of the Central government, residents of the fire zone should have been shifted at a safe place by August 2021 but so far even one 4th of families have not been rehabilitated in lack of quarters.
The DC reviewed the status of legal land owners and illegal occupants of dangerous zone, construction of quarters for shifting residents and facilities being given to families who have been shifted at a safe place.
The DC said that so far 6,352 quarters have been completed at Belagaria Township ( meant for Jharia fire zone residents) and 2,687 families of the most dangerous area have been shifted there.
