Red sores on earth
Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag
Nirmala lives in the Jharia coal belt in Jharkhand. A 90-year-old fire is eating the coal below ground. It may cave in without warning. But residents refuse to move
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
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
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
If fire continues unabated, this could be the whole of Jharia, soon
Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag
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
More coal means more money. Women folk carry upto 60 to 80 kg of coal on their head every day from the mining site to the market place, seven km away
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
A resident of Kujama gathers coal from mining waste. By noon she will collect a sackful. She will sell the coal at Rs 6 to Rs 10 a kg
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
The burning coal is taking its toll on villages. Seen here are the remains of houses and temple of Kujama village in Jharia
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
This coal fuelled underground kiln is barely 50 meters away from Kujama village
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
Live fire alarm: This caged parrot alerts the villagers against nearing fires
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
Gathering coal from waste dumps is a family run enterprise. Even four year olds are roped in to gather coal
Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag
Nirmala Paswan tries to cool the boundary wall of her hut with water. The wall spews smoke and has developed cracks. It may fall anytime…
Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag
As flames leap, earth’s crust turns to black cinder
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
No trees for shade: Life in Kujama goes on
Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag
Coal worth crores of rupees burns to ash. The coal company says it can douse the fire only if people agree to relocate
Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta
Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag