Jharia: Burning for over 100 years, Jharia coalfield has been burning underground and now finally touches the city limits. The Jharia town is sitting on a ticking time bomb. All the efforts to extinguish the fire have proved to be insufficient.
India’s one of the largest coal reserves, The Jharia coalfield has been burning continuously for over 100 years.
Due to this underground fire over a dozen settlements have totally been destroyed in the area. The alarming flames and fumes are visible all around the city limits.
The first fire was reported in 1916.
Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) latest report suggests that the fire has engulfed the city from three sides. From the south-east side, it has almost entered the city and from the other two sides, it is likely to breach the city limits. From one end of the city, the underground fire is just 50 meters away.
DGMS report also suggests that the 150-year-old Raj +2 High School is also within its ambit. Attempts to shift this to Jharia Academy has already failed.
The underground fire is likely to affect the population of Jharia town, which is over 5 lakhs.
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