“People have slipped into a fissure of fire and never returned”: Why Jharia’s residents choose to live on a burning land than relocate
Saurav Kumar
Raja Bhuniya, 17, stands in front of the open-cast mine where his home was once located.
Saurav Kumar/The Migration Story
JHARIA, Jharkhand: In one of India’s largest coalfields, nearly 100,000 families continue to live on land designated as “dangerous” because of the fire that burns underground. As pain sears their feet, the villagers of Bagdidi, Jharia, stubbornly ignore subsidence warnings and efforts by the government to relocate them - in hopes of being compensated.
The Bhuniya community, now settled in Jharia, traces its roots back to southern Bihar. Around three decades ago, before the formation of the forested state of Jharkhand in 2000, they migrated from Bihar’s Gaya district in search of a better life and a sustainable source of income. Their journey led them to the coalfields of Jharia, where they found a livelihood amid the mines.
Raja Bhuniya, 17, is the son of migrant parents who became coal miners in Jharia. Like many families in the region, his family resisted leaving the burning land they called home—until the day the relentless underground fire consumed their house, forcing them to flee.
“Our family makes a living by selling coal, but we lost our home when government officials took our land in 2017 to excavate this mine,” said Raja, pointing towards the open-cast mine that now occupies the land where his family once lived. However, we’ve received no compensation and are still waiting for it.”
Raja Bhuniya’s house in Jharia. Saurav Kumar/The Migration Story
Raja Bhuniya’s family does not hold a formal land title, but believe they have a right over this land since it has been their source of livelihood - and remains hopeful for compensation from the authorities.
“The government does not consider us as official inhabitants of this land, but still we have a right over this land as we are dependent on it for our livelihood for generations. We must get compensated,” he said.
"Since the mid-2000s, thousands of families have been waiting for their promised compensation. Sadly, some have even passed away during this endless wait," said Suresh Prasad Gupta, General Secretary of the Bihar Colliery Kangar Union , who has been tirelessly advocating for the victims of unpaid compensation.
The union leader emphasised that local families initially supported the excavation of mines, believing it would bring benefits and opportunities. Instead, they lost their land and were left with unfulfilled promises of proper compensation and permanent rehabilitation.
In fact, nearly 5,000 families with land titles who vacated their homes during coal mine excavations almost 15 years ago did not receive any compensation, said Gupta.
The Jharia coalfield spans 450 square kilometers and is the nation's sole source of prime coking coal. While global climate initiatives and the government’s ‘Just Transition’ policy aim to steer the country away from coal dependency, the challenge of rehabilitating Jharia's coal-dependent population appears grievous.
The plight of Jharia residents underscores the need for government organizations to pay attention to those who depend on fossil fuels for their livelihood, and are most at risk of being left behind in the global transition to a green future. The lack of compensation denies them opportunities such as those of acquiring new skills to adapt to the future of work.
At the recently-concluded COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, there were discussions around keeping people at the centre of climate action and the fear of coal-dependent workers being left behind, but the summit COP29 without agreement on the just transition work programme (JTWP).
“A just transition means no one is left behind, and they are doing exactly the opposite. This is clearly not the way towards a greener and fairer world for all, it is a step backwards,” said Joel Chester “Cheng” Pagulayan, Climate Justice Portfolio Manager, Oxfam Pilipinas, even as another observer described it as a “betrayal of workers, communities, young people and everyone on the frontlines of this transition.”
Scavenging coal for a living
The burning coalfield in Jharia. Picture credit: Roli Srivastava/The Migration Story
India is heavily dependent on coal to meet its energy demand and increased coal production by 12 percent in 2023-24 (compared to 2022-23), with the government aiming for an up to seven percent annual rise in production over the next six years to reach 1.5 billion tonnes in domestic coal production by 2030.
An estimated 10 to 15 million people depend directly or indirectly on the fossil fuel for a living, according to researchers.
Jharia’s case is unique where the dependence on coal stretches beyond the formal and informal workforce, to those who risk their lives to enter treacherous, fire-spewing mines to pick coal.
A daily wage coal worker’s identity card. Saurav Kumar/The Migration Story
Ganesh Pal, 38, a contract coal worker said his land in Bagdidi is also marked for rehabilitation, but he scavenges coal in the area and that brings in income to sustain his family’s livelihood.
“Fifteen years ago, I bought land here, but now it feels like living on a deathbed,” Ganesh said. Although eligible for relocation, the absence of secure employment forces him to stay on, apart from the hope that the government will one day purchase his land from him.
Sapna Mahato and Kamala Devi pose for a picture in Bagdigi, Jharia.
Saurav Kumar/The Migration Story
Similarly, coal scavengers Sapna Mahato and Kamala Devi have resisted relocation orders from Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL). The proposed shift to Belgharia township, just 7 kilometers away, offers them no sustainable income source.
“Coal is the stable and sustainable source of income, even in dangerous living conditions,” said Sapna. “I would rather risk my life and earn a living than face the uncertainty of relocation and leave coal behind.”
Every day, they scavenge coal from the edges of Bagdigi’s abandoned mine, their earnings from the sale of coal in local markets the only means to survive.
“Living without coal is unimaginable," Kamala Devi said. "Even if it means living on the brink of death.”
The future of many like Kamala Devi is wedded to Jharia’s coalfields.
“The possibility of returning to our home state is no longer an option. We left with the intention of settling permanently in the coalfields to earn a livelihood, and over time, we lost touch with our acquaintances and relatives,” she said.
Similarly, thousands of migrants who rely on coal have abandoned the idea of going back to their home states.
Why do people like Ganesh, Sapna and Kamala choose not to be relocated to new townships that offer a rehabilitation program? The answer lies in what is experienced by those who did.
“I used to earn Rs. 470 -520 per day working in the mines. Now I make only Rs. 330, and work is inconsistent,” said Jitan Kumar, a former coal worker who moved to a rehab township in Belgharia.
Shaky Rehab schemes
Belgharia Township that was constructed for rehabilitation of people living on the burning coal field. Saurav Kumar/The Migration Story
The government’s rehabilitation scheme, led by the Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA), has been trying to move families away from subsidence zones since 2010. About 10,000 people have been relocated so far to new townships like Belgharia. However, many have criticised the scheme as inadequate. Despite new homes, residents face acute unemployment and water shortages, making life in Belgharia equally unstable.
“The relocation process is slow, and many people are refusing to move,” said a JRDA official on condition of anonymity. “We're actively working to convince families, but the economic uncertainty is a major obstacle.”
Another official seemed to think all is going well.
“In the past decade, around 10,000 people have relocated from the burning coalfields of Jharia, with many more expected to transition from coal dependency over the next five years,” said Manoj Kumar, another official from the JRDA. “To support this shift, the JRDA has partnered with NGOs like the American India Foundation, offering alternative employment opportunities such as beauty and wellness training for women and IT skills for youth who have recently moved away from the coalfields.”
According to Sudarshan Yadav, an assistant professor at Central University of Jharkhand, the challenge is ensuring that communities built around coal can transition without being pushed into deeper poverty.
“While Jharkhand is pioneering Just Transition in India, the impact on the ground is yet to be seen and most of it is in the policy stage,” said Yadav, referring to the task force the state has set up for a sustainable just transition to assess the impact of the transition away from coal on the economy, workers and communities and the way forward.
“But the connection between policy discussions and the real challenges faced by people in coal-dependent areas like Jharia is yet to be developed,” said Yadav.
India, being the world’s second largest coal with its continued reliance on coal, has set a target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, aiming for a fair and equitable energy transition for workers and their families. In contrast, developed nations like the United Kingdom have set a more ambitious goal, targeting net zero emissions by 2050. Interestingly, the United Kingdom has officially closed its last coal-fired power plant, marking the end of coal use to generate electricity in the country. The UK had already dramatically reduced coal’s share of the power mix, from 39% in 2012 to just 2% in 2020.
For those living in Jharia, however, their past, present and their foreseeable future is linked to coal.
Suman Kumari, 23, lost her home to an open-cast mine a few years ago. While temporary quarters were provided, the families chose not to relocate due to the lack of basic amenities such as water and electricity.
Dashrath Bhuniya, 63, believes that for a large section of people reliant on coal, their future remains tied to the coalfields, which sustain countless households.
“Coal is our lifeline and will remain so until it runs out. However, the rumours circulating about the closure of coal mines leave us all uncertain about what lies ahead,” said Dashrath.
Saurav Kumar is an independent journalist based in Bengaluru, specialising in labor rights and rural India
Comments