Digging up more coal has become a national priority for India as it tries to meet its electricity needs. But for the people who do it, like the miners in this hilly region of India's eastern Jharkhand state, it's a dangerous and potentially lethal assignment.
The coalfields here are run by Central Coalfields Limited, a subsidiary of Indian state run giant Coal India Limited. The several thousand miners here must contend with air filled with coal dust. Some say they have developed asthma and other respiratory problems. Others say the environment exacerbates existing health conditions.
Mr Jugal Munda, a 30 year old who already suffers from tuberculosis, would prefer not to be breathing in ash on a daily basis, but says he has no choice because he has a family of three to support. Mr Munda earns around USD 500 a month helping to load coal into dump trucks. He said that "I have to keep working until I die, and hopefully my wife will then get a job on compensatory grounds."
Mr Ajay Pal, 50 years old, has a similar job and says he suffers from asthma. He has a family of five to support and works in area mines. He says he feels like he is dying a slow death.
Workers say they also suffer from serious eye problems because of coal dust.
According to Mr SN Sahadev, a senior worker at the coalfields, the main reason for all these ailments is that Coal India and its contractors aren't following protocols. He said that "After coal is taken out from the open cast mines, water should be sprayed to prevent flying of coal dust and trucks are to be covered with tarpaulin sheets. Those rules aren't followed."
Mr Etwaria Oran, a worker at the mines, complains that there aren't proper medical facilities available in the makeshift hospitals operated at the project by Central Coalfields. A doctor on Central Coalfields' staff, who declined to be named, acknowledged that the medical facilities are far from satisfactory. He said that lack of equipment and medicines are preventing proper treatment.
There is another danger lurking here at the North Karanpura mines: the threat from Maoist militants who are fighting against major industrial and mining projects that they allege are stealing wealth from native tribal populations. They are part of a movement in several Indian states.
The drive to North Karanpura from Ranchi, Jharkhand's state capital, is perilous, as armed Maoists have camps in the dense forests on both sides of the highway. On a recent visit, the driver refused to stop the car to allow a bathroom break, saying, that it is too risky and one can be kidnapped”
Maoists have carried out attacks on mines in the region, setting trucks and bulldozers ablaze and threatening the lives of workers. They call general strikes, forcing mines to shut down. Last year alone, the mines here shut down five times. They extort contractors for money to guarantee their safety. Workers say they constantly feel under siege.
Mr Sonu Pandey, a local subcontractor whose workers do odd jobs like loading coal into trucks, said that "We have to bear the brunt as we stay here and get no protection from the police."
Mr Sunil Singh, a coal trader from Ranchi who visits North Karanpura regularly, said big contractors can afford to buy protection by paying off the Maoists, but small contractors can't.
CIL officials said that these types of problems help explain why India is lagging far behind in coal production compared to its surging energy demand.
One CIL engineer said that "Imagine a scenario where industry in India comes to a standstill because of coal shortage. There will be a shortage of at least 200 million tons in 2013-14 unless the country goes for heavy imports."
Source - Wall Street Journal
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