Cabinet okays Rs 6,000-crore revised master plan for Jharia Coalfield-affected families

The coalfield, which falls in the Damodar River valley in mining district of Dhanbad, is the largest in India, with vast reserves of high-grade coking coal

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on June 25 approved Rs 5,940.47-crore revised master plan to address the issues related to fire, land subsidence and the rehabilitation of affected families in the Jharia Coalfield in Jharkhand, a press statement said.

The Revised Jharia Master Plan, approved by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led committee, will be implemented in a phase wise manner, ensuring rehabilitation and other services to the affected families on a priority basis.

Under the plan, the government will focus on providing a sustainable livelihood generation for the families rehabilitated with targeted skill development schemes and income-generating opportunities to ensure self-reliance, the statement said.

In addition, the families will be provided a grant of Rs 1 lakh and a credit support of up to Rs 3 lakh for both Legal Title Holder (LTH) families and Non-Legal Title Holder (Non-LTH) families, it said.

The government will also set up a dedicated Jharia Alternative Livelihoods Rehabilitation Fund and ensure basic facilities and infrastructure in the region.

The coalfield, which falls in the Damodar River valley in mining district of Dhanbad, is the largest in India, with vast reserves of high-grade coking coal. The coalfield is also known for underground coal fires, which has been ongoing for over a century.

Coal mining started in this coalfield first in 1894 and the first-reported fire was recorded in 1916, reportedly consuming 37 million tons of the black diamond since then and making over 1.4 billion metric tonnes of it inaccessible. The coal fires are also hazardous for the surrounding environment and the people living in the region.