Three Paharia children drowned on January 10 this year. No remorse! Vehicles ply on the road above unaware of caves present beneath. No problem! Assembly Committee's rap for not following environmental guidelines. Nothing to repent about! It's Eastern Coalfields limited (ECl) way to conduct coal mining operation in Jharkhand.
The stories are related to a coal mine falling under lohandia Basti of the lalmatia PS of Godda where the government owned firm conducts operation on a large scale. The mine may have been shut down after having been de-coaled or exhausted but the incidents continue unabated.
"You can see how vehicles are plying over so dangerously when the mining has been done under. The road can get caved-in anytime since the coal mining company has not completed the refilling process," said a local social activist working for the environmental protection at Godda.
The abandoned coal mine has been left with hundreds of feet deep gorge filled with rain water that along with emptied gullies pose great danger to human lives and properties to the locals. It is learnt that the mining operation came to a standstill about a year ago over there but still the ECl is continuing with the fill-up exercise, mandated under the mine reclamation process.
"Heavy movement of vehicles is there despite hollowed vents underneath. There is always a fear of accident. As far as police is concerned, a case is under investigation about drowning of three minor Birhor children of Bada Borma village that also includes a girl. They had fallen into the well left open inside the closed coal mine and an FIR has been lodged under lalmatia PS," said a senior police official.
The mine jettisoned improperly by defying set rules and procedures under the Mines Safety Act also attracts illegal miners. Moreover, the coal lust more often proves fatal for poor as the unattended mines turn into virtual death traps for them.
Nonetheless, the ECl, quite expectedly snubbed the brazen facts. "All these are complete falsehood which is being spread. Those who are complaining about not filling up the mine do not know the technicalities involved. The process takes time and cannot be done all of a sudden. We have started the filling up process after the mine was de-coaled about a year ago. It will take another one year to complete the process," said A Saha, General Manager with the coal mining company.
He also denied that accidents are taking place though admitted that road construction work is going on over the unfilled mine. He, at the same time, blamed the illegal miners to go inside the closed coal mine for theft. Moreover, the recent pictures do not show any sign of the mine getting filled.
The danger is looming large. May not be on paper!