The emission of poisonous gas from underground coal mines continued at the Kenduadih Basti in Jharkhand's Dhanbad on Friday, said officials, adding that a team of Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited (CMPDI) has arrived there and is currently monitoring the situation. The CMPDI team, they said, will likely submit its report within 15 to 20 days.
The team, led by Geology Manager Bhuvanesh Kumar Gupta, is also using advanced drone technology to carry out a detailed assessment of area. Briefing the reporters about the situation, Gupta two key data sets will be collected through the drones to understand the exact cause of the leakage.
So far, two women have lost their lives because of emission of gases such as carbon monoxide (CO), triggering panic among the locals. Last week, officials said that CO level in the air is 'dangerously high' at up to 1,500 parts per million (PPM), forcing them to ask the locals to evacuate and leave the area.
However, the locals are unwilling to leave their residences. "They (officials) have not found a solution. My parents are not in a good condition, who will look after the children? They have asked us to shift to another place. But what if there is a gas leak there as well? Where will we go then?" said a woman, while speaking to reporters.
PMO monitoring situation
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Ministry of Coal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren are monitoring the situation. The Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) has, on the other hand, set up a tent city for the affected people.
According to a 2019 survey, around 946 families reside in close to 595 under ground mine fire and subsidence-prone areas of the Jharia coalfield.
"The company is making arrangements to shift the residents to safer places. For the safety of life and property, we have already requested them to leave the dangerous zone," said BCCL's Putki-Balihati Colliery Area General Manager GC Saha last week, adding that all leakage points of gas emission have now been plugged.
(With inputs from Kundan Singh)
