The Coal Reality
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- In the NE state of Meghalaya in the Jaintia Hills District coal mining is big business. It touches everyone. You either work in the business, supply the business or live with the effects of polluted waters, deforestation and heavy truck traffic and coal dust. The use of child labor is VERY prevelent. Almost all work from mining to loading trucks is carried out by manual labor. Work is usually an 11 hour day for most workers in the industry. Many of the mines are illegal and most unregulated. There is little or no real engineering that goes on to develop these mines. Most are 150-400 feet in depth and getting to the bottom requires a real risky desent on primitive pine tree staircases that are wet and muddy. Miners in the bottom using rathole techniques where the dig a coal seam that is no more than 3 feet thick while lying on their back using a pick can earn up to $25 for a 12 hour day. The reality of a mine cave in is very real as there are no supports in place as they dig up to 3000 feet into the sides of each wall.
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- In the NE state of Meghalaya in the Jaintia Hills District coal mining is big business. It touches everyone. You either work in the business, supply the business or live with the effects of polluted waters, deforestation and heavy truck traffic and coal dust. The use of child labor is VERY prevelent. Almost all work from mining to loading trucks is carried out by manual labor. Work is usually an 11 hour day for most workers in the industry. Many of the mines are illegal and most unregulated. There is little or no real engineering that goes on to develop these mines. Most are 150-400 feet in depth and getting to the bottom requires a real risky desent on primitive pine tree staircases that are wet and muddy. Miners in the bottom using rathole techniques where the dig a coal seam that is no more than 3 feet thick while lying on their back using a pick can earn up to $25 for a 12 hour day. The reality of a mine cave in is very real as there are no supports in place as they dig up to 3000 feet into the sides of each wall.
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- Miners families live near the Jharia mine where many of the family members work. Women and children steal coal in order to make charcoal to take to town and sell. Live here is very difficult as there is no running water and besides the dust and smoke from the burning coal mine the community is filled with burning coal to make charcoal. Locals snuck me into the mine to show me large cracks in the ground where they used to live and because cremation is so expensive many of the dead are placed in these cracks for cremation instead.
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- Coal mining in Jharkhand goes back a long time. In 1916 a mine accident started a fire underground and this fire has continued to burn for nearly 100 years. This has not stopped the mining in this coal rich area. Fires in the area crack the earth and spew smoke in the air which is part of the daily existence in the area. Coal loaders at Bokapahari mine.
