Centre Reviews Progress of Jharia Master Plan; BCCL CMD Briefs Union Ministers in New Delhi
The Jharia coalfield, India's premier source of prime coking coal, has been battling underground mine fires for more than a century
The progress of the Jharia Master Plan (JMP), aimed at addressing the century-old underground mine fires and rehabilitating thousands of affected families in the Jharia coalfield, came under detailed review during a high-level meeting held at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, on Tuesday.
The meeting was chaired by Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and attended by Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal. Among those present were Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, Additional Secretary Sanoj Kumar Jha, Advisor to the Ministry of Coal Alok Kumar Singh, Coal India Chairman B. Sairam, Coal India Director (Business Development) Ashish Kumar, BCCL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Manoj Kumar Agarwal, and senior officials from the Ministry of Coal, Coal India Limited, Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), and other concerned departments.
The meeting focused on reviewing the implementation and progress of the Jharia Master Plan, a flagship rehabilitation and infrastructure initiative designed to tackle one of India’s longest-running environmental and mining challenges.
During the meeting, BCCL CMD Manoj Kumar Agarwal presented a comprehensive progress report on the various initiatives being undertaken under the Jharia Master Plan. He highlighted the status of rehabilitation and resettlement of project-affected families, employment generation, skill development programmes, and other public welfare initiatives being implemented in the region. He also briefed the gathering on the progress achieved against the plan’s targets and the ongoing efforts to accelerate implementation.
Commending BCCL for the progress made so far, Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy directed the company and all concerned agencies to complete the remaining works within the stipulated timelines while maintaining high quality standards. He stressed the need for effective project execution, faster rehabilitation of affected families, and stronger coordination among all implementing agencies.
The review meeting reaffirmed the Government of India’s commitment to ensuring the effective execution of the Jharia Master Plan, with a renewed focus on improving the lives of residents living in the fire-affected coal belt.
Jharia Fire Continues to Challenge Authorities
The Jharia coalfield in Jharkhand, India’s premier source of prime coking coal, has been battling underground mine fires for more than a century. The fires, which are believed to have started in 1916, continue to burn beneath several parts of the coalfield, posing serious threats to human life, infrastructure, and the environment.
The underground fires have triggered land subsidence, forced the displacement of thousands of families, damaged roads and railway infrastructure, and caused significant environmental degradation. The Jharia Master Plan was formulated to systematically rehabilitate affected residents, relocate vulnerable settlements, and mitigate the impact of the underground fires while ensuring the continued production of this strategically important coking coal resource.
The latest high-level review reflects the Centre’s determination to accelerate rehabilitation efforts and bring greater momentum to one of the country’s most complex mining and environmental management programmes.
