Hello,
The resource curse is real. Jharkhand’s Dhanbad is often considered the coal capital of India, and yet the abundance of black gold has failed to improve the lives of its inhabitants.
Dhanbad and its neighbourhoods have witnessed massive coal mining activities for decades. Fires have been raging in abandoned mines of Jharia coalfields for the last 110 years, since 1916.
These mines contributed to India’s energy security for decades, but once reserves were exhausted, the systems’ apathy became apparent. The exhausted and unviable mines were left abandoned without a proper scientific closure, leaving locals to face the danger. As a result, every year, people living in the vicinity die either due to toxic fumes from these mines or due to land subsidence.
Over the past few months, The Reporters’ Collective visited seven mines in Jharkhand, including five abandoned ones in Dhanbad, a closed mine in Bokaro, and one repurposed mine in Chatra. The story of apathy was almost the same everywhere. Some are being temporarily closed for lack of plan and funds, while others are left in this state so that they can be reopened/reused later.
To ensure scientific closure, reclamation and repurposing of defunct mines, India has been preparing guidelines since 2009, but their implementation remains poor. It was in their latest version, in 2025, when these guidelines, for the first time, asked companies to engage mining-dependent communities to “envision and co-create sustainable ideas and solutions” as mines are closed.
However, in our investigation, we found that the closure plans submitted by coal companies for the 147 mines that need to be scientifically closed by 2028, “overlook the broader socio-economic implications of mine closure.” In our visits, we found that communities were never consulted or compensated.
Read here: The Deadly Reality of Jharkhand’s Abandoned Coalfields
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Warm Regards,
Mayank Aggarwal,
Editor,
The Reporters' Collective