Home » Open Cast Mines in Jharkhand continued to be death trap

Five people including four women were found dead in the Dhanbad district of Jharkhand after they were trapped in an open cast coal mine, part of which caved in, officials said.
The incident occurred Tuesday morning at the Eastern Coalfields’ open cast mine in the Gopinathpur area of Dhanbad.
Officials said that following rescue efforts, three women and one man’s dead bodies were brought out and one woman was rushed to the hospital for treatment, but was later found dead. All five had gone to the mine to get coal and sell it in the market as well as to use it in their house as fuel.
Last year in November, four persons were trapped in an abandoned coal mine in Bokarodistrict of Jharkhand. Although they were feared dead, all four made their way back home.

Some persons from nearby villagers had reportedly gone to the ‘prohibited area’ under ECL. DC Dhanbad Sandeep Singh said a part of the overburdened area of the mine caved in. Later, the administration found four bodies at the spot.
It is a prohibited area and we have asked the ECL to use the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel to increase their security,” the DC said.
According to the district mining officer, Dhanbad has 105 mining leases altogether comprising underground, open cast and exhausted mining areas. Some leases are not operational because of lack of statutory clearances. Open cast mining is a traditional ‘cone-shaped’ excavation done for surface mining of coal that does not deep shafts.

Open cast mining is a traditional ‘cone-shaped’ excavation that is done for surface mining of coal. This type of mining does not deep shafts.
Open cast mining differs from extractive methods that require tunnelling into the earth, such as long wall mining.
Open-pit mines are used when deposits of commercially useful minerals or rocks are found near the surface.
For minerals that occur deep below the surface, underground mining methods extract the valued material.

Poverty: The poor people, in a hope of earning money and sustaining their livelihood, risk their lives for a few sack of free coal.
Security lapse: Open cast mining is not a well-guarded perimeter and trespassing is common in these areas. Also, due to overlapping of jurisdiction of local laws and CISF, coordination takes a hit.
Nexus: Dhanbad is infamous for illegal quarrying of coal from abandoned. It has been going on for many years in complicity with coal mafias, police and politicians.

What kind of security is present in open cast mines to prevent illegal entry?

Dhanbad Mining Officer MihirSalkar said security is the ‘primary’ responsibility of the lease holder — in this case ECL — which has been given CISF personnel to patrol the area and keep trespassers out.
However, ECL general manager Bibhas Chandra Singh blamed the local law and order for the trespassers. “We have seen in the past that people come in groups to the mining areas to collect coal and even throw stones at the CISF personnel when they stop them,” Singh said, adding that the CISF has not been able to stop large groups. “We have written several letters to the district administration apprising them of the issue underlining that it is a serious problem.”

What action has been taken after the incident?

While the Dhanbad DC said ECL has been directed to maintain adequate security, an SIT has also been formed by the Dhanbad Police to look into the issue.
A mine safety audit from DGMS Dhanbad has been also initiated.

Open-cast mining changes geological, hydrological and geotechnical conditions.
It influences the existing ecological system and landscape.
The dust and noise affect not only the atmosphere and soil, but also the whole human living space in the exploited territories.

Jharkhand is a state in eastern India.
It’s known for its waterfalls, the elegant Jain temples of Parasnath Hill and the elephants and tigers of Betla National Park.
It features the 17th-century Jagannath Temple, a Hindu shrine and the Jharkhand War Memorial. Tagore Hill is a monument honoring Nobel Prize-winning author Rabindranath Tagore.
Capital – Ranchi
Chief minister – HemantSoren
Governor – RameshBais