Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy on Monday visited the gas-affected areas in Dhanbad’s Kenduadih area, interacted with residents and inspected the relief camp, before holding a press conference where he squarely blamed the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) for the deepening crisis.
Describing the situation as alarming, Roy said the people of Kenduadih were facing an existential threat due to prolonged gas leakage from old mining areas.
“This is not a sudden accident. It is the result of decades of negligence by BCCL and regulatory failure by DGMS. Neither institution is making serious efforts to scientifically extract the gas or ensure long-term safety.”
Roy pointed out that mining in the area has been underway since 1914 and alleged that after underground mining, mandatory sand stowing was never properly carried out. “Instead of scientific filling, BCCL merely erected walls at the mine mouths. When gas pressure builds up, it is bound to break through the earth and escape into the open, becoming extremely dangerous on contact with air,” he said.
He further alleged that illegal mining was being carried out by breaking portions of these walls, aggravating the risk. “There is no visible attempt by BCCL to stop illegal mining. At present, DGMS appears to be playing an even more dangerous role by failing in its core responsibility of mine safety,” Roy said.
Criticising the displacement strategy, Roy said residents were being asked to relocate to places lacking employment opportunities and basic amenities. “People are paying the price for the corrupt practices of BCCL and DGMS,” he said, adding that he would raise the issue with both the state and central governments.
Providing a broader context, Roy noted that BCCL and DGMS are Union government entities. “The Centre has already sanctioned around ₹9,000 crore for rehabilitation and has made efforts in the past to control underground fires. The current situation demands the same level of seriousness and intervention,” he said.
Roy also raised the issue of Lady Dumar village in Baghmara, where a high boundary wall constructed along the main road has allegedly blocked access to agricultural land. He said he had sought explanations from the Baghmara circle officer and the Dhanbad deputy commissioner, and warned that failure to respond would lead to an assembly contempt notice.
Efforts to reach BCCL CMD Manoj Kumar Agarwal for a comment did not yield any results.
