Dhanbad Mayor Warns BCCL Over Heavy Blasting Near Jharia
Key Points:
- Sudden land subsidence hits Bhagatdih in Jharia’s Bastacola Area-9
- Cracks appear in at least seven houses, families flee to safer places
- Mayor Sanjeev Singh warns BCCL of shutting Rajapur project if unresolved
DHANBAD – Panic gripped Bhagatdih locality in Jharia’s Bastacola Area-9 after a sudden incident of land subsidence on Saturday. The ground gave way behind the old RSP College in the Kamini Kalyan zone, causing large cracks to appear in several homes.
Many families left their houses with essential belongings and moved to safer locations as a precaution. Local residents said the disturbance began after loud noise and vibrations from ongoing heavy blasting in the surrounding area.
The ground subsided within moments, severely affecting at least seven houses in the locality. Following the incident, residents blocked the road in protest and demanded a halt to the blasting activity.
However, as news of the subsidence spread, Bastacola Area general manager S.K. Gaikwad and Dhanbad Mayor Sanjeev Singh reached the spot and inspected the affected zone. The mayor made it clear that no family would be forced to stay in houses at risk.
Residents of homes with severe cracks are being shifted to safe BCCL quarters, he said. He also directed officials to immediately repair damaged pipelines and other infrastructure, and ordered a detailed survey of the entire affected area.
Meanwhile, Mayor Singh issued a strong warning to BCCL management over the issue of heavy blasting. He said that if complaints from local residents were not addressed quickly and effectively, action could be taken to shut down the Rajapur project in the Bastacola area.
He described the safety of people’s lives and property as the top priority in the matter. On the other hand, GM S.K. Gaikwad said BCCL management was continuously carrying out relief and rehabilitation work in the area.
Affected families would be provided facilities as per rules, he said, adding that residents of severely damaged houses were being shifted into vacant quarters. Besides the current incident, residents recalled that the old RSP College campus had also been vacated in 2017 due to trench cutting in the area.
The fresh subsidence has once again heightened concerns among locals. Administration and BCCL teams are keeping the area under continuous watch, and the relief and rehabilitation process will proceed further once the survey assesses damage to houses, land, pipelines and other property.
Dhanbad‘s coal-mining belt has a long history of land subsidence linked to underground fires and mining activity, with Jharia among the worst-affected zones in the country. Similar subsidence and displacement concerns have periodically surfaced in the region, alongside broader questions over mining-affected community welfare, local development priorities and rehabilitation efforts undertaken by industrial operators in the coalfield belt.
