Everyone is staying back for the coal–people make a livelihood by selling the coal they salvage and the government owned Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) company insists on mining the rich coal

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

Residents of Kujama village construct new houses in concrete and pray to ash laden tulsi plants for a miracle

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

The residents in turn allege BCCL is making no effort to fight the fire as it wants to keep them away from the coal

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

Fissures run deep. People cannot live on unsteady ground, so the 0.45 million people living in and around Jharia will have to be moved. The relocation will cost the government exchequer Rs 10,000 crore, making it the world’s most ambitious plan yet

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

The smouldering fire below means children have to skip their way to school…even as the ground beneath threatens to shift

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

This coal fuelled underground kiln is barely 50 meters away from Kujama village

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

She collects four to six sacks by evening with her family’s help

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

Its evening and Suresh Paswan and his mother have packed their coal haul. They will make Rs 40 to Rs 90 by selling it

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

Red sores on earth

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

This old man in Kujama is suffering from TB. Fearing relocation, he refuses to speak about his illness or disclose his name

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

No trees for shade: Life in Kujama goes on

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag