PMO-appointed team assesses living conditions of families in Jharia fire zone

The team under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Krishna S Vasta visited fire affected Alkusa mines, Bansjora, Godhar, Golden Pahari, Dhanudih and Jharia areas and took stock of the underground and surface situation of inferno.

Members of the team also talked with the families living in dangerous fire zones and assured them to solve their problem by shifting them to a safe place. The team along with officials of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) also inspected living conditions of residents at Benagariya township built for displaced families of Jharia fire.

Over 1.4 lakh families (32,046  land owners and 72,882 unauthorized) living in Jharia mines fire zone have to be shifted to a safe place. But in the last 12 years merely over 5000 families have been shifted so far.

Rattled by snail’s pace in rehabilitation of families, the PMO  took serious note and on August 25 constituted a nine members team under coal secretary Anil Jain for spot  assessment of the situation. The committee has to submit a report on Jharia rehabilitation in two months.

The families living in the dangerous zone who have refused to leave the place told the visiting team that merely shifting people from one place to another would not solve the rehabilitation problem of Jharia. The government would have to look at other requirements also. “So far senior officers and  expert teams have only visited and given assurance in the last 12 years but not a single of them have been implemented,” said Ajay Paswan, one of the residents of the fire area.

The  families who have been shifted to Benagaria township from Jharia, complain that they have no sources of livelihood. Benagaria town has been made 15 km away from district headquarters and they have to pay Rs 50 fare for reaching the township. “The quarter has been dilapidated and there are no proper facilities of drinking water, power, and road,” said Seema Devi to the visiting team.