>Serols m Reverted edits by 223.191.0.6 (talk) (HG) (3.4.10) |
m quick refine layout for accuracy and fixed typos |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{refimprove|date=December 2025}} | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}} | ||
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}} | {{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}} | ||
| Line 51: | Line 52: | ||
| footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/38/Jharia2.html | title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Jharia, India}}</ref> | | footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/IN/38/Jharia2.html | title=Maps, Weather, and Airports for Jharia, India}}</ref> | ||
| official_name = | | official_name = | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Jharia''' is a [[neighbourhood]] in [[Dhanbad]] [[Dhanbad Sadar subdivision]] of [[Dhanbad district]] in [[Jharkhand]] [[States and territories of India|state]], [[India]]. Jharia's economy is heavily dependent on the [[Jharia coalfield|local coal fields]], used to make [[coke (fuel)|coke]]. However, fires in the coal fields have made the city heavily polluted, with several government studies recommending relocation of much of the population to nearby [[Belgaria]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2017-03-09|title=Living above a century-old coal fire, Jharia residents pay the price for India's mining ambitions|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2017/03/living-above-a-century-old-coal-fire-jharia-residents-pay-the-price-for-indias-mining-ambitions/|access-date=2020-08-02|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Pai|first1=Sandeep|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-iMZtQEACAAJ&q=Total+Transition:+The+Human+Side+of+the+Renewable+Energy+Revolution|title=Total Transition: The Human Side of the Renewable Energy Revolution|last2=Carr-Wilson|first2=Savannah|date=2018|publisher=Rocky Mountain Books|isbn=978-1-77160-248-8|language=en}}</ref> | '''Jharia''' is a [[neighbourhood]] in [[Dhanbad]] city in [[Dhanbad Sadar subdivision]] of [[Dhanbad district]] in [[Jharkhand]] [[States and territories of India|state]], [[India]]. Jharia's economy is heavily dependent on the [[Jharia coalfield|local coal fields]], used to make [[coke (fuel)|coke]]. However, fires in the coal fields have made the city heavily polluted, with several government studies recommending relocation of much of the population to nearby [[Belgaria]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2017-03-09|title=Living above a century-old coal fire, Jharia residents pay the price for India's mining ambitions|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2017/03/living-above-a-century-old-coal-fire-jharia-residents-pay-the-price-for-indias-mining-ambitions/|access-date=2020-08-02|website=Mongabay Environmental News|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last1=Pai|first1=Sandeep|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-iMZtQEACAAJ&q=Total+Transition:+The+Human+Side+of+the+Renewable+Energy+Revolution|title=Total Transition: The Human Side of the Renewable Energy Revolution|last2=Carr-Wilson|first2=Savannah|date=2018|publisher=Rocky Mountain Books|isbn=978-1-77160-248-8|language=en}}</ref> | ||
As of 2011, Jharia was the fifteenth-largest town in the state of Jharkhand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://world-gazetteer.com/gg.php?lng=en&men=gcis&geo=-1866|title=Jharkhand cities and town, world-gazetteer.com| | As of 2011, Jharia was the fifteenth-largest town in the state of Jharkhand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://world-gazetteer.com/gg.php?lng=en&men=gcis&geo=-1866|title=Jharkhand cities and town, world-gazetteer.com}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> | ||
==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
| Line 77: | Line 74: | ||
|mark-coord12={{coord|23|48|28|N|86|24|8|E}} | label-pos12=left|label12= Wasseypur | numbered12=N| mark-title12= [[Wasseypur]] (N) | |mark-coord12={{coord|23|48|28|N|86|24|8|E}} | label-pos12=left|label12= Wasseypur | numbered12=N| mark-title12= [[Wasseypur]] (N) | ||
|mark-coord13={{coord|23|49|15|N|86|27|50|E}} | label-pos13=right|label13= Saraidhela| numbered13=N| mark-title13= [[Saraidhela]] (N) | |mark-coord13={{coord|23|49|15|N|86|27|50|E}} | label-pos13=right|label13= Saraidhela| numbered13=N| mark-title13= [[Saraidhela]] (N) | ||
|mark-coord14={{coord|23|45|5|N|86|25|13|E}} | label-pos14=right|label14=Jharia | numbered14=N| mark-title14= | |mark-coord14={{coord|23|45|5|N|86|25|13|E}} | label-pos14=right|label14=Jharia | numbered14=N| mark-title14= Jharia (N)|shape-color14=black| label-size14=13|label-color14=black <!-- make the subject of the article stand out with black colors --> | ||
|mark-coord15={{coord|23|44|41|N|86|24|10|E}} | label-pos15=left|label15= Jharia Khas| numbered15=N| mark-title15= [[Jharia Khas]] (N) | |mark-coord15={{coord|23|44|41|N|86|24|10|E}} | label-pos15=left|label15= Jharia Khas| numbered15=N| mark-title15= [[Jharia Khas]] (N) | ||
|mark-coord16={{coord|23|45|47|N|86|28|23|E}} | label-pos16=left|label16= Belgaria | numbered16=R| mark-title16= [[Belgaria]] (R)| shape-14 =#C42222 | |mark-coord16={{coord|23|45|47|N|86|28|23|E}} | label-pos16=left|label16= Belgaria | numbered16=R| mark-title16= [[Belgaria]] (R)| shape-14 =#C42222 | ||
| Line 94: | Line 91: | ||
<small>Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.</small> | <small>Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.</small> | ||
Jharia, earlier a [[census town]], was combined with other urban units to form [[Dhanbad Municipal Corporation]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://166.62.42.155/dmc/citizen/ | title = Dhanbad Municipal Corporation | publisher = DMC | access-date = 15 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171015150926/http://166.62.42.155/dmc/citizen/ | archive-date = 15 October 2017 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://dhanbad.nic.in/maps.html | title= Dhanbad | Jharia, earlier a [[census town]], was combined with other urban units to form [[Dhanbad Municipal Corporation]] in 2006.<ref name="Dhanbad Municipal Corporation">{{cite web | url = http://166.62.42.155/dmc/citizen/ | title = Dhanbad Municipal Corporation | publisher = DMC | access-date = 15 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171015150926/http://166.62.42.155/dmc/citizen/ | archive-date = 15 October 2017 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://dhanbad.nic.in/maps.html | title= Dhanbad District Map| work= Physical Map of Dhanbad |publisher= Jharkhand Government| access-date = 15 October 2017}}</ref> | ||
Jharia is spread over parts of Ward Nos. 36,37 and 38 of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://dhanbad.nic.in/dhanbad_dmc.html |title = Dhanbad Municipal Corporation | work= प्रादेशिक निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों की सूची (in Hindi)|publisher= Jharkhand Government | access-date = 19 October 2017 }}</ref> | Jharia is spread over parts of Ward Nos. 36,37 and 38 of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://dhanbad.nic.in/dhanbad_dmc.html |title = Dhanbad Municipal Corporation | work= प्रादेशिक निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों की सूची (in Hindi)|publisher= Jharkhand Government | access-date = 19 October 2017 }}</ref> | ||
===Overview=== | ===Overview=== | ||
The region shown in the map is a part of the undulating [[highland|uplands]] bustling with coalmines in the lowest rung of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]]. The entire area shown in the map is under [[Dhanbad Municipal Corporation]], except [[Belgaria]] which is under [[Baliapur (community development block)]]. The places in the DMC area are marked as [[neighbourhoods]]. The DMC area shown in the map is around the core area of [[Dhanbad]] city. Another major area of DMC is shown in the map of the southern portion of the district. A small stretch of DMC, extending up to [[Katras]] is shown in the map of the western portion. The region is fully urbanised. [[Jharia (community development block)]] has been merged into DMC. Three operational areas of [[Bharat Coking Coal|BCCL]] operate fully within the region – [[Sijua Area]], [[Kusunda Area]] and [[Bastacola Area]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/DCHB_A/20/2009_PART_A_DCHB_DHANBAD.pdf | title = District Census Handbook Dhanbad | work = Series 21, Part XIIA, pages 4-5, 5-6, 8 | publisher = Directorate of Census Operations, Jharkhand | access-date = 4 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/cdb_pca_census/Houselisting-housing-JK.html |title = 2011 Census C.D. Block Wise Primary Census Abstract Data(PCA) | work= Jharkhand – District-wise CD Blocks|publisher= Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India | access-date = 8 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bcclweb.in/?page_id=22623| title = Area | publisher = Bharat Coking Coal Limited | access-date = 2 July 2019 | The region shown in the map is a part of the undulating [[highland|uplands]] bustling with coalmines in the lowest rung of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]]. The entire area shown in the map is under [[Dhanbad Municipal Corporation]], except [[Belgaria]] which is under [[Baliapur (community development block)]]. The places in the DMC area are marked as [[neighbourhoods]]. The DMC area shown in the map is around the core area of [[Dhanbad]] city. Another major area of DMC is shown in the map of the southern portion of the district. A small stretch of DMC, extending up to [[Katras]] is shown in the map of the western portion. The region is fully urbanised. [[Jharia (community development block)]] has been merged into DMC. Three operational areas of [[Bharat Coking Coal|BCCL]] operate fully within the region – [[Sijua Area]], [[Kusunda Area]] and [[Bastacola Area]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/DCHB_A/20/2009_PART_A_DCHB_DHANBAD.pdf | title = District Census Handbook Dhanbad | work = Series 21, Part XIIA, pages 4-5, 5-6, 8 | publisher = Directorate of Census Operations, Jharkhand | access-date = 4 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/cdb_pca_census/Houselisting-housing-JK.html |title = 2011 Census C.D. Block Wise Primary Census Abstract Data(PCA) | work= Jharkhand – District-wise CD Blocks|publisher= Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India | access-date = 8 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.bcclweb.in/?page_id=22623| title = Area| publisher = Bharat Coking Coal Limited| access-date = 2 July 2019| archive-date = 26 July 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190726160730/http://www.bcclweb.in/?page_id=22623| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="Dhanbad Municipal Corporation"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://dhanbad.nic.in/maps.html | title = Dhanbad Dsitrict Map | work = Physical Map of Dhanbad | publisher = Jharkhand Government | access-date = 15 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171005161335/http://dhanbad.nic.in/maps.html | archive-date = 5 October 2017 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://dhanbad.nic.in/dhanbad_dmc.html | title = Dhanbad Municipal Corporation | work = प्रादेशिक निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों की सूची (in Hindi) | publisher = Jharkhand Government | access-date = 19 October 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171028073630/http://dhanbad.nic.in/dhanbad_dmc.html | archive-date = 28 October 2017 | url-status = dead }}</ref> | ||
===Police station=== | ===Police station=== | ||
There is a police station at Jharia.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://jhpolice.gov.in/dhanbad | title = Jharkhand Police | work = Contact Numbers | publisher = JP| access-date = 17 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dhanbad.nic.in/Admins/structure.html| title = Dhanbad – Welcome to the Coal Capital of India| work = Administrative Structure of Dhanbad District – List of Thana and Outpost of Dhanbad Outpost| publisher = Jharkhand Government| access-date = 17 June 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171024095316/http://www.dhanbad.nic.in/Admins/structure.html| archive-date = 2017-10-24| url-status = dead}}</ref> | There is a police station at Jharia.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://jhpolice.gov.in/dhanbad | title = Jharkhand Police | work = Contact Numbers | publisher = JP | access-date = 17 June 2019 | archive-date = 16 June 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190616231704/https://jhpolice.gov.in/dhanbad | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dhanbad.nic.in/Admins/structure.html| title = Dhanbad – Welcome to the Coal Capital of India| work = Administrative Structure of Dhanbad District – List of Thana and Outpost of Dhanbad Outpost| publisher = Jharkhand Government| access-date = 17 June 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171024095316/http://www.dhanbad.nic.in/Admins/structure.html| archive-date = 2017-10-24| url-status = dead}}</ref> | ||
==Demographics== | ==Demographics== | ||
{{As of|2001}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including building,cities, villages ,farm and towns IMPORTANT NOTICE this site is not good(Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Jharia had a population of 81,979. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Jharia has an average literacy rate of 68%, lower than the national average of 74.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Jharia, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. | {{As of|2001}} India [[census]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999|archive-date=2004-06-16|title= Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including building, cities, villages, farm and towns IMPORTANT NOTICE this site is not good(Provisional)|access-date=2008-11-01|publisher= Census Commission of India}}</ref> Jharia had a population of 81,979. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Jharia has an average literacy rate of 68%, lower than the national average of 74.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Jharia, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age. | ||
==Relocation== | ==Relocation== | ||
According to the state government this is the worst site of India, the town of Jharia is to be shifted due to the uncontrollable coal mine fires (see below), which have found to be undousable, leading to loss of property and lives. Coal worth [[Rs.]] 60,000 crore (US$12 billion) is lying unmined, and the state government feels the shifting will help in exploiting this resource.<ref name=JhariaTimes>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jharia-to-be-shifted/articleshow/1941479.cms | title=Jharia to be shifted | newspaper=The Times of India | date=31 August 2006 | first=Law Kumar | last=Mishra | access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref> The Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority is supposed to relocate much of the population to [[Belgaria]] and other towns nearby.<ref name=":0" /> However, as of 2017, the organization was facing considerable challenges in acquiring land and doing construction,<ref name=":0" /> and a 2016 book reporting on the relocation effort, found that the relocation was not accounting for [[Just Transition]] of jobs, or adequate high quality housing.<ref name=":1" /> | According to the state government this is the worst site of India, the town of Jharia is to be shifted due to the uncontrollable coal mine fires (see below), which have found to be undousable, leading to loss of property and lives. Coal worth [[Rs.]] 60,000 crore (US$12 billion) is lying unmined, and the state government feels the shifting will help in exploiting this resource.<ref name=JhariaTimes>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Jharia-to-be-shifted/articleshow/1941479.cms | title=Jharia to be shifted | newspaper=The Times of India | date=31 August 2006 | first=Law Kumar | last=Mishra | access-date=24 January 2019}}</ref> The Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority is supposed to relocate much of the population to [[Belgaria]] and other towns nearby.<ref name=":0" /> However, as of 2017, the organization was facing considerable challenges in acquiring land and doing construction,<ref name=":0" /> and a 2016 book reporting on the relocation effort, found that the relocation was not accounting for [[Just Transition]] of jobs, or adequate high quality housing.<ref name=":1" /> | ||
==Coal field== | ==Coal field== | ||
| Line 114: | Line 111: | ||
[[File:Coal Mine.jpg|thumb|Jharia Coal mine]] | [[File:Coal Mine.jpg|thumb|Jharia Coal mine]] | ||
The coal field lies in the [[Damodar River#Damodar Valley|Damodar River Valley]], and covers about 110 square miles (280 square km), and produces bituminous [[coal]] suitable for coke. Most of India's coal comes from Jharia. Jharia coal mines are India's most important storehouse<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.edugreen.teri.res.in/EXPLORE/n_renew/jharia.htm |title=The Jharia coal field fire |access-date=17 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713193226/http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/n_renew/jharia.htm |archive-date=13 July 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> of prime [[Coke (fuel)|coke]] coal used in blast furnaces, it consists of 23 large underground and nine large open cast mines.<ref name=JhariaTimes/> | The coal field lies in the [[Damodar River#Damodar Valley|Damodar River Valley]], and covers about 110 square miles (280 square km), and produces bituminous [[coal]] suitable for coke. Most of India's coal comes from Jharia. Jharia coal mines are India's most important storehouse<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.edugreen.teri.res.in/EXPLORE/n_renew/jharia.htm |title=The Jharia coal field fire |access-date=17 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713193226/http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/n_renew/jharia.htm |archive-date=13 July 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> of prime [[Coke (fuel)|coke]] coal used in blast furnaces, it consists of 23 large underground and nine large open cast mines.<ref name=JhariaTimes/> | ||
===Coal field fire=== | ===Coal field fire=== | ||
Jharia is famous for a [[Mine fire|coal field fire]] that has burned underground for a century. The first fire was detected in 1916.<ref name=JhariaTimes/> According to records, it was the Khas Jharia mines of [[Seth Khora Ramji]], who was a pioneer of Indian coalmines, whose mines were one of the firsts to collapse in underground fire in 1930. Two of his collieries, Khas Jharia and Golden Jharia, which worked on maximum 260-foot-deep shafts,<ref name=xxx/> collapsed due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house and bungalow also collapsed on 8 November 1930, causing | Jharia is famous for a [[Mine fire|coal field fire]] that has burned underground for a century. The first fire was detected in 1916.<ref name=JhariaTimes/> According to records, it was the Khas Jharia mines of [[Seth Khora Ramji]], who was a pioneer of Indian coalmines, whose mines were one of the firsts to collapse in underground fire in 1930. Two of his collieries, Khas Jharia and Golden Jharia, which worked on maximum 260-foot-deep shafts,<ref name=xxx/> collapsed due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house and bungalow also collapsed on 8 November 1930, causing a six meter subsidence and widespread destruction.<ref name="archive.org">[https://archive.org/stream/bengalassambehar00playuoft/bengalassambehar00playuoft_djvu.txt Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar & Orissa 1917 Khora Ramji Colliries]</ref><ref name="Khora Ramji Mines capsized in 1938">[https://books.google.com/books?id=CbmyAAAAIAAJ&q=khora+ramji+ Khora Ramji Mines capsized in 1938]</ref><ref name=xxx>{{cite book|title=Peripheral Labour: Studies in the History of Partial Proletarianization edited by Shahid Amin, Marcel van der Linden|year=1997|page=83|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FClErftju_kC&q=JHARIA+ONE+OF+THE+OLDEST+MINES+FIRE&pg=PA83|isbn=9780521589000|last1=Amin|first1=Samir|last2=Amin|first2=Shahid|last3=Linden|first3=Marcel van der}}</ref><ref>Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa:1998 Page:12</ref><ref>Nanji Bapa ni Nondh-pothi published in Gujarati in year 1999 from Vadodara. It is a diary of Railway Contracts done by KGK community noted by Nanji Govindji Tank of Jamshedpur, compiled by Dharsibhai Jethalal Tank, Tatanagar. (Aank Sidhhi awarded to book by Kutch Shakti at Mumbai in 2000): Life Sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawra Page :76</ref><ref name="f">[https://books.google.com/books?id=CbmyAAAAIAAJ&q=seth+khora+ramji] ''The Jharia underground fire still raging first came to notice in November, 1930 with subsidance at Seth Khora Ramji's Khas Jharia Colliery(Page 159). He was told that Seth Khora Ramji, whose mines lay underneath Jharia, had chosen to live in his house, which also collapsed in subsidance(Page 160)''. "The politics of labour under late colonialism: workers, unions, and the state in Chota Nagpur, 1928–1939 by Dilip Simeon."</ref> The fire never stopped despite sincere efforts by mines department and railway authorities and in 1933 flaming crevasses lead to exodus of many residents.<ref name=xxx/> The [[1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake]] led to further spread of fire and by 1938 the authorities had declared that there is raging fire beneath the town with 42 collieries out of 133 on fire.<ref>Searchlight, 24 January 1936.</ref> | ||
In 1972, more than 70 mine fires were reported in this region. As of 2007, more than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to [[Satya Pratap Singh]], "Jharia township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster".<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=ab7c12d5-2837-4b87-804c-2649fd1a7413&MatchID1=4627&TeamID1=1&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1165&PrimaryID=4627&Headline='Declare+Jharia+fire+a+national+disaster' Hindustan Times, 15 December 2007]</ref> The government has been criticized for a perceived lackadaisical attitude<ref>[https://archive.today/20120908233321/http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V8C-4C4W52H-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=5d2c09a9fa7df30fb2b5ded8c3002a7c The Jharia mine fire control technical assistance project: an analysis, April 2004]</ref> towards the safety of the people of Jharia.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060902180620/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/08/27/stories/2006082700070500.htm "Inside Coal Mine Fires", a documentary, 2005]</ref> Heavy fumes emitted by the fires<ref> | In 1972, more than 70 mine fires were reported in this region. As of 2007, more than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to [[Satya Pratap Singh]], "Jharia township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster".<ref>[http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=ab7c12d5-2837-4b87-804c-2649fd1a7413&MatchID1=4627&TeamID1=1&TeamID2=6&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1165&PrimaryID=4627&Headline='Declare+Jharia+fire+a+national+disaster' Hindustan Times, 15 December 2007]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The government has been criticized for a perceived lackadaisical attitude<ref>[https://archive.today/20120908233321/http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V8C-4C4W52H-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=5d2c09a9fa7df30fb2b5ded8c3002a7c The Jharia mine fire control technical assistance project: an analysis, April 2004]</ref> towards the safety of the people of Jharia.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20060902180620/http://www.hindu.com/mag/2006/08/27/stories/2006082700070500.htm "Inside Coal Mine Fires", a documentary, 2005]</ref> Heavy fumes emitted by the fires<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2007AM/finalprogram/abstract_132434.htm |title=ESTIMATION OF GAS EMISSIONS FROM SHALLOW SUBSURFACE COAL FIRES IN JHARIA COALFIELD |access-date=17 January 2008 |archive-date=8 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608142732/http://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2007AM/finalprogram/abstract_132434.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> lead to severe health problems such as breathing disorders and skin diseases among the local population.<ref>[http://www.indiatogether.org/2006/nov/hlt-mining.htm In the line of fire, indiatogether.org]</ref> | ||
==Education== | ==Education== | ||
*[[Raja Shiva Prasad College]] was established in 1951 at [[Bhagatdih]], Jharia. It was shifted to Belgarhia, 5 km away, in 2018, because of an underground mine fire.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://jharia.in/r-s-p-college-jharia/ | title = RSP College | publisher = Jharia.in | access-date = 19 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.telegraphindia.com | *[[Raja Shiva Prasad College]] was established in 1951 at [[Bhagatdih]], Jharia. It was shifted to Belgarhia, 5 km away, in 2018, because of an underground mine fire.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://jharia.in/r-s-p-college-jharia/ | title = RSP College | publisher = Jharia.in | access-date = 19 June 2019 | archive-date = 27 June 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190627201933/http://jharia.in/r-s-p-college-jharia/ | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/new-site-for-oldest-school/cid/1376040 | title = New site for oldest school | publisher = The Telegraph, 8 October 201 | access-date = 19 June 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.telegraphindia.com/jharkhand/jharia-king-s-family-wants-royal-museum-in-building-that-once-housed-college-built-by-king/cid/1680466 | title = Jharia king's family wants royal museum in abandoned building | publisher = The Telegraph, 1 January 2019 | access-date =19 June 2019}}</ref> | ||
== Ammonia pollution == | == Ammonia pollution == | ||
In 2018, researchers at [[Université libre de Bruxelles|Université Libre de Bruxelles]] (ULB) in [[Belgium]] revealed a created map of [[Earth|global]] [[Atmosphere|atmospheric]] [[ammonia]], by combining nine years of [[satellite]] data, that show Jharia and surroundings are heavily ammonia [[Pollution|polluted]] from burning coal mines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livescience.com/64244-scary-map-shows-where-animal-poop-is-turning-into-deadly-ammonia-pollution.html|title=Scary Map Shows Where Animal Poop Is Turning into Deadly Ammonia Pollution| | In 2018, researchers at [[Université libre de Bruxelles|Université Libre de Bruxelles]] (ULB) in [[Belgium]] revealed a created map of [[Earth|global]] [[Atmosphere|atmospheric]] [[ammonia]], by combining nine years of [[satellite]] data, that show Jharia and surroundings are heavily ammonia [[Pollution|polluted]] from burning coal mines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livescience.com/64244-scary-map-shows-where-animal-poop-is-turning-into-deadly-ammonia-pollution.html|title=Scary Map Shows Where Animal Poop Is Turning into Deadly Ammonia Pollution|publisher=Live Science|first=Brandon|last=Specktor|access-date=2021-08-18|date=5 December 2018}}</ref> The emitted ammonia reacts rapidly with other [[Air pollution|air pollutants]], and thereby helps to form fine [[Particulates|particulate matter]] that shortens the [[human]] [[Life expectancy|lifespan]] through [[Respiratory disease|respiratory]] and [[Coronary artery disease|coronary diseases]]. Moreover, the [[gas]]eous ammonia and ammonium compounds formed from it in the [[Atmosphere of Earth|atmosphere]], are deposited into [[ecosystem]]s, throughout the [[Himalayas]], damaging sensitive [[habitat]]s — especially those naturally adapted to need clean [[Oxygen|air]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Howard|first1=Clare M.|last2=Sutton|first2=Mark A.|date=2018|title=Satellite pinpoints ammonia sources globally|journal=Nature|language=EN|volume=564|issue=7734|pages=49–50|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-07584-7|pmid=30518893|bibcode=2018Natur.564...49S|doi-access=free}}</ref> | ||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| Line 141: | Line 131: | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* [http://dhanbad.nic.in/links/jharia.htm Official data on Jharia Block] | * [http://dhanbad.nic.in/links/jharia.htm Official data on Jharia Block] | ||
* [http://jharia.in/official-map-of-dhanbad-district/ Official map of Dhanbad district] | * [http://jharia.in/official-map-of-dhanbad-district/ Official map of Dhanbad district] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016182522/http://jharia.in/official-map-of-dhanbad-district/ |date=16 October 2017 }} | ||
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23422068 Pictures of the coal town of Jharia] | * [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-23422068 Pictures of the coal town of Jharia] | ||
| Line 147: | Line 137: | ||
* Reinventing Jharia Coalfield. Edited by N.C. Saxena, Gurdeep Singh, K.N. Singh and B.N. Pan. Jodhpur, Scientific, 2005, vi, 246 p.. {{ISBN|81-7233-398-6}}. | * Reinventing Jharia Coalfield. Edited by N.C. Saxena, Gurdeep Singh, K.N. Singh and B.N. Pan. Jodhpur, Scientific, 2005, vi, 246 p.. {{ISBN|81-7233-398-6}}. | ||
* {{cite journal|title=Satellites track the fires raging beneath India|date=18 July 2006|journal=New Scientist|issue=2560|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125605.600-satellites-track-the-fires-raging-beneath-india.html}} | * {{cite journal|title=Satellites track the fires raging beneath India|date=18 July 2006|journal=New Scientist|issue=2560|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19125605.600-satellites-track-the-fires-raging-beneath-india.html}} | ||
* {{cite news|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=205350|title=German major eyes Jharia coal fires|last=Roychowdhury|first=Indronil|date=15 October 2006|work=Kolkata Newsline|access-date=2009-05-02}} | * {{cite news|url=http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=205350|title=German major eyes Jharia coal fires|last=Roychowdhury|first=Indronil|date=15 October 2006|work=Kolkata Newsline|access-date=2009-05-02}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} | ||
* {{cite episode | title = India: Children of the Inferno | series = Unreported World | series-link = Unreported World | airdate = 24 April 2009 | season = 17 | number = 7 | url = http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/episode-guide/series-2009/episode-7 }} | * {{cite episode | title = India: Children of the Inferno | series = Unreported World | series-link = Unreported World | airdate = 24 April 2009 | season = 17 | number = 7 | url = http://www.channel4.com/programmes/unreported-world/episode-guide/series-2009/episode-7 }} | ||
* {{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200904121051.htm |title=Coal mine fires an election issue in Jharkhand |date=12 April 2009 |work=The Hindu |access-date=2009-05-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104062208/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200904121051.htm |archive-date= 4 November 2012 }} | * {{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200904121051.htm |title=Coal mine fires an election issue in Jharkhand |date=12 April 2009 |work=The Hindu |access-date=2009-05-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104062208/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200904121051.htm |archive-date= 4 November 2012 }} | ||
* {{cite news|url=http://www.bombayfc.com/wasteland|title=Web documentary about the people who live in proximity to the underground coal fires |date=6 May 2009|work=Bombay Flying Club - www.bombayfc.com|access-date=2009-05-02}} | * {{cite news|url=http://www.bombayfc.com/wasteland|title=Web documentary about the people who live in proximity to the underground coal fires|date=6 May 2009|work=Bombay Flying Club - www.bombayfc.com|access-date=2009-05-02|archive-date=15 May 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515105844/http://bombayfc.com/wasteland/|url-status=usurped}} | ||
* eBook about the Jharia Coalfields, Zipfel, Isabell https://www.amazon.com/The-Jharia-Coalfields-ebook/dp/B0095I2AH4 | * eBook about the Jharia Coalfields, Zipfel, Isabell https://www.amazon.com/The-Jharia-Coalfields-ebook/dp/B0095I2AH4 | ||
Latest revision as of 21:35, 5 December 2025
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2025) |
Jharia | |
|---|---|
Neighbourhood in Dhanbad | |
 Jharia coalfield | |
  Jharia Location in Jharkhand, India  Jharia Jharia (India) | |
| Coordinates: 23°45′06″N 86°25′13″E / 23.751568°N 86.420345°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Jharkhand |
| District | Dhanbad |
| Elevation | 77 m (253 ft) |
| Population (2001) | |
| • Total | 81,979 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi, Urdu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 828111 |
| Vehicle registration | JH |
| Website | dhanbad |
| [1] | |
Jharia is a neighbourhood in Dhanbad city in Dhanbad Sadar subdivision of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand state, India. Jharia's economy is heavily dependent on the local coal fields, used to make coke. However, fires in the coal fields have made the city heavily polluted, with several government studies recommending relocation of much of the population to nearby Belgaria.[2][3]
As of 2011, Jharia was the fifteenth-largest town in the state of Jharkhand.[4]
Geography[edit | edit source]
Lua error in Module:OSM_Location_map at line 1984: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Location[edit | edit source]
Jharia is located at 23°45′06″N 86°25′13″E / 23.751568°N 86.420345°E.
Note: The map alongside presents some of the notable locations in the area. All places marked in the map are linked in the larger full screen map.
Jharia, earlier a census town, was combined with other urban units to form Dhanbad Municipal Corporation in 2006.[5][6]
Jharia is spread over parts of Ward Nos. 36,37 and 38 of Dhanbad Municipal Corporation.[7]
Overview[edit | edit source]
The region shown in the map is a part of the undulating uplands bustling with coalmines in the lowest rung of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. The entire area shown in the map is under Dhanbad Municipal Corporation, except Belgaria which is under Baliapur (community development block). The places in the DMC area are marked as neighbourhoods. The DMC area shown in the map is around the core area of Dhanbad city. Another major area of DMC is shown in the map of the southern portion of the district. A small stretch of DMC, extending up to Katras is shown in the map of the western portion. The region is fully urbanised. Jharia (community development block) has been merged into DMC. Three operational areas of BCCL operate fully within the region – Sijua Area, Kusunda Area and Bastacola Area.[8][9][10][5][11][12]
Police station[edit | edit source]
There is a police station at Jharia.[13][14]
Demographics[edit | edit source]
As of 2001[update] India census,[15] Jharia had a population of 81,979. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Jharia has an average literacy rate of 68%, lower than the national average of 74.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Jharia, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Relocation[edit | edit source]
According to the state government this is the worst site of India, the town of Jharia is to be shifted due to the uncontrollable coal mine fires (see below), which have found to be undousable, leading to loss of property and lives. Coal worth Rs. 60,000 crore (US$12 billion) is lying unmined, and the state government feels the shifting will help in exploiting this resource.[16] The Jharia Rehabilitation and Development Authority is supposed to relocate much of the population to Belgaria and other towns nearby.[2] However, as of 2017, the organization was facing considerable challenges in acquiring land and doing construction,[2] and a 2016 book reporting on the relocation effort, found that the relocation was not accounting for Just Transition of jobs, or adequate high quality housing.[3]
Coal field[edit | edit source]
The coal field lies in the Damodar River Valley, and covers about 110 square miles (280 square km), and produces bituminous coal suitable for coke. Most of India's coal comes from Jharia. Jharia coal mines are India's most important storehouse[17] of prime coke coal used in blast furnaces, it consists of 23 large underground and nine large open cast mines.[16]
Coal field fire[edit | edit source]
Jharia is famous for a coal field fire that has burned underground for a century. The first fire was detected in 1916.[16] According to records, it was the Khas Jharia mines of Seth Khora Ramji, who was a pioneer of Indian coalmines, whose mines were one of the firsts to collapse in underground fire in 1930. Two of his collieries, Khas Jharia and Golden Jharia, which worked on maximum 260-foot-deep shafts,[18] collapsed due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house and bungalow also collapsed on 8 November 1930, causing a six meter subsidence and widespread destruction.[19][20][18][21][22][23] The fire never stopped despite sincere efforts by mines department and railway authorities and in 1933 flaming crevasses lead to exodus of many residents.[18] The 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake led to further spread of fire and by 1938 the authorities had declared that there is raging fire beneath the town with 42 collieries out of 133 on fire.[24]
In 1972, more than 70 mine fires were reported in this region. As of 2007, more than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to Satya Pratap Singh, "Jharia township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster".[25] The government has been criticized for a perceived lackadaisical attitude[26] towards the safety of the people of Jharia.[27] Heavy fumes emitted by the fires[28] lead to severe health problems such as breathing disorders and skin diseases among the local population.[29]
Education[edit | edit source]
- Raja Shiva Prasad College was established in 1951 at Bhagatdih, Jharia. It was shifted to Belgarhia, 5 km away, in 2018, because of an underground mine fire.[30][31][32]
Ammonia pollution[edit | edit source]
In 2018, researchers at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium revealed a created map of global atmospheric ammonia, by combining nine years of satellite data, that show Jharia and surroundings are heavily ammonia polluted from burning coal mines.[33] The emitted ammonia reacts rapidly with other air pollutants, and thereby helps to form fine particulate matter that shortens the human lifespan through respiratory and coronary diseases. Moreover, the gaseous ammonia and ammonium compounds formed from it in the atmosphere, are deposited into ecosystems, throughout the Himalayas, damaging sensitive habitats — especially those naturally adapted to need clean air.[34]
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Jharia, India".
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Living above a century-old coal fire, Jharia residents pay the price for India's mining ambitions". Mongabay Environmental News. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Pai, Sandeep; Carr-Wilson, Savannah (2018). Total Transition: The Human Side of the Renewable Energy Revolution. Rocky Mountain Books. ISBN 978-1-77160-248-8.
- ↑ "Jharkhand cities and town, world-gazetteer.com".[dead link]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Dhanbad Municipal Corporation". DMC. Archived from the original on 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
- ↑ "Dhanbad District Map". Physical Map of Dhanbad. Jharkhand Government. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
- ↑ "Dhanbad Municipal Corporation". प्रादेशिक निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों की सूची (in Hindi). Jharkhand Government. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
- ↑ "District Census Handbook Dhanbad" (PDF). Series 21, Part XIIA, pages 4-5, 5-6, 8. Directorate of Census Operations, Jharkhand. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ↑ "2011 Census C.D. Block Wise Primary Census Abstract Data(PCA)". Jharkhand – District-wise CD Blocks. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ↑ "Area". Bharat Coking Coal Limited. Archived from the original on 26 July 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
- ↑ "Dhanbad Dsitrict Map". Physical Map of Dhanbad. Jharkhand Government. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
- ↑ "Dhanbad Municipal Corporation". प्रादेशिक निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों की सूची (in Hindi). Jharkhand Government. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
- ↑ "Jharkhand Police". Contact Numbers. JP. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ↑ "Dhanbad – Welcome to the Coal Capital of India". Administrative Structure of Dhanbad District – List of Thana and Outpost of Dhanbad Outpost. Jharkhand Government. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including building, cities, villages, farm and towns IMPORTANT NOTICE this site is not good(Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Mishra, Law Kumar (31 August 2006). "Jharia to be shifted". The Times of India. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
- ↑ "The Jharia coal field fire". Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Amin, Samir; Amin, Shahid; Linden, Marcel van der (1997). Peripheral Labour: Studies in the History of Partial Proletarianization edited by Shahid Amin, Marcel van der Linden. p. 83. ISBN 9780521589000.
- ↑ Gazetteers of Bengal, Assam, Bihar & Orissa 1917 Khora Ramji Colliries
- ↑ Khora Ramji Mines capsized in 1938
- ↑ Diary of Golden Days at Jharia – A Memoir & History of Gurjar Kashtriya Samaj of Kutch in Coalfields of Jharia – written by Natwarlal Devram Jethwa:1998 Page:12
- ↑ Nanji Bapa ni Nondh-pothi published in Gujarati in year 1999 from Vadodara. It is a diary of Railway Contracts done by KGK community noted by Nanji Govindji Tank of Jamshedpur, compiled by Dharsibhai Jethalal Tank, Tatanagar. (Aank Sidhhi awarded to book by Kutch Shakti at Mumbai in 2000): Life Sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawra Page :76
- ↑ [1] The Jharia underground fire still raging first came to notice in November, 1930 with subsidance at Seth Khora Ramji's Khas Jharia Colliery(Page 159). He was told that Seth Khora Ramji, whose mines lay underneath Jharia, had chosen to live in his house, which also collapsed in subsidance(Page 160). "The politics of labour under late colonialism: workers, unions, and the state in Chota Nagpur, 1928–1939 by Dilip Simeon."
- ↑ Searchlight, 24 January 1936.
- ↑ Hindustan Times, 15 December 2007[dead link]
- ↑ The Jharia mine fire control technical assistance project: an analysis, April 2004
- ↑ "Inside Coal Mine Fires", a documentary, 2005
- ↑ "ESTIMATION OF GAS EMISSIONS FROM SHALLOW SUBSURFACE COAL FIRES IN JHARIA COALFIELD". Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
- ↑ In the line of fire, indiatogether.org
- ↑ "RSP College". Jharia.in. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ↑ "New site for oldest school". The Telegraph, 8 October 201. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ↑ "Jharia king's family wants royal museum in abandoned building". The Telegraph, 1 January 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ↑ Specktor, Brandon (5 December 2018). "Scary Map Shows Where Animal Poop Is Turning into Deadly Ammonia Pollution". Live Science. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
- ↑ Howard, Clare M.; Sutton, Mark A. (2018). "Satellite pinpoints ammonia sources globally". Nature. 564 (7734): 49–50. Bibcode:2018Natur.564...49S. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-07584-7. PMID 30518893.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Official data on Jharia Block
- Official map of Dhanbad district Archived 16 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
- Pictures of the coal town of Jharia
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- Reinventing Jharia Coalfield. Edited by N.C. Saxena, Gurdeep Singh, K.N. Singh and B.N. Pan. Jodhpur, Scientific, 2005, vi, 246 p.. ISBN 81-7233-398-6.
- "Satellites track the fires raging beneath India". New Scientist (2560). 18 July 2006.
- Roychowdhury, Indronil (15 October 2006). "German major eyes Jharia coal fires". Kolkata Newsline. Retrieved 2 May 2009.[dead link]
- "India: Children of the Inferno". Unreported World. 24 April 2009. No. 7, season 17.
- "Coal mine fires an election issue in Jharkhand". The Hindu. 12 April 2009. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
- "Web documentary about the people who live in proximity to the underground coal fires". Bombay Flying Club - www.bombayfc.com. 6 May 2009. Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
- eBook about the Jharia Coalfields, Zipfel, Isabell https://www.amazon.com/The-Jharia-Coalfields-ebook/dp/B0095I2AH4