RANCHI: Over 21 houses caved in the Tandabari settlement, under the Sonardih OP area of Dhanbad, due to land subsidence. Accompanied by a loud sound, the incident took place at around 9 pm on Thursday. The houses were razed beneath the ground by 15 to 20 feet.
Chaos ensued across the entire area after the incident. Four people are reported to have sustained injuries, with one person currently in critical condition. He has been admitted to Asarfi Hospital in Dhanbad.
Upon hearing the loud noise, people rushed out of their homes to save their lives.
“We somehow saved our lives by evacuating our homes immediately. Otherwise, we would have been killed,” said Rekha Devi. After receiving the information, officials from the administration and BCCL immediately rushed to the spot and set up a camp there. The process of relocating the affected residents to a safe location has already started.
BCCL arranged transport for the affected people, and 27 families are being relocated to Belgaria.
Circle Officer (CO) Girjanand Kisku asserted that 27 families are being immediately shifted to Belgariya, where flats are available. Subsequently, anyone else wishing to relocate will also be shifted.
He acknowledged that this area has become extremely dangerous and that evacuation is imperative.
Enraged by the incident, villagers have accused the BCCL management of gross negligence. They allege that years of ongoing coal mining operations have rendered the ground hollow from within, leading to recurring incidents of land subsidence.
In protest, the villagers blocked the Chas-Rajganj four-lane road, disrupting traffic flow.
Locals informed that three people lost their lives in the first instance of land subsidence, which occurred on March 31.
“At that time, we were told that everyone would be relocated, but no action was taken. Subsequently, a second incident took place on April 22; however, neither the BCCL management nor the administration took any concrete measures,” said a resident, Prabhull Kumar Sahni.
He added that the residents are willing to move away from the area, yet their concerns continue to be consistently ignored.
A sense of fear and uncertainty has gripped residents of the Tanda Bari settlement as repeated incidents of land subsidence continue to threaten their safety.
Villagers have urged the administration and BCCL to ensure a lasting solution and arrange secure rehabilitation for the affected families.