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Life in Jharia, Jharkhand where a 90-year-old underground coal fire threatens a whole town

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31 Mar 2009, 4:00 am

<p>Red sores on earth<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

Red sores on earth

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta

Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

<p>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 <br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>She collects four to six sacks by evening with her family’s help<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta

Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

<p>The smouldering fire below means children have to skip their way to school…even as the ground beneath threatens to shift<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>The residents in turn allege BCCL is making no effort to fight the fire as it wants to keep them away from the coal<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>If fire continues unabated, this could be the whole of Jharia, soon<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

If fire continues unabated, this could be the whole of Jharia, soon

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta

Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

<p>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 <br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>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<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>This coal fuelled underground kiln is barely 50 meters away from Kujama village<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta

Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

<p>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<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>This old man in Kujama is suffering from TB. Fearing relocation, he refuses to speak about his illness or disclose his name<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>The burning coal is taking its toll on villages. Seen here are the remains of houses and temple of Kujama village in Jharia<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>Its evening and Suresh Paswan and his mother have packed their coal haul. They will make Rs 40 to Rs 90 by selling it<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>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 <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>Live fire alarm: This caged parrot alerts the villagers against nearing fires<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

Live fire alarm: This caged parrot alerts the villagers against nearing fires

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta

Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

<p>Residents of Kujama village construct new houses in concrete and pray to ash laden tulsi plants for a miracle<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>Gathering coal from waste dumps is a family run enterprise. Even four year olds are roped in to gather coal<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>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…<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>As flames leap, earth’s crust turns to black cinder<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

<p>No trees for shade: Life in Kujama goes on<br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

No trees for shade: Life in Kujama goes on

Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta

Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag

<p>Coal worth crores of rupees burns to ash. The coal company says it can douse the fire only if people agree to relocate<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><em>Report by: Alok Kumar Gupta <br /><br />Photographs by: Sandip Kumar Nag</em></p><br />

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

India

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