The Union Cabinet is expected to approve the revised Jharia Master Plan (JMP) shortly, according to sources. The original Jharia Master Plan, approved in 2009, aimed at addressing issues of fire, subsidence, and rehabilitation in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district, with a total investment of Rs 7,112.11 crore. The plan, which was supposed to be implemented over 10 years, expired in 2021, prompting the need for a revised version.

The revised JMP will be rolled out in phases, prioritizing locations where human life is at immediate risk. Rehabilitation efforts will later extend to areas with lower risk. Coal India Limited (CIL) has pledged to provide Rs 500 crore annually for the initiative, with its subsidiary, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), addressing both ongoing and future fire outbreaks in the region.

Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy mentioned that the comprehensive action plan for the Jharia region is nearing completion. Once the Cabinet approves the plan, work on its implementation will commence. According to BCCL, the first phase of the plan, which successfully relocated around 2,800 families and reduced the affected fire area to 1.8 sq km, was completed in 2021-22.

Jharia coalfields, known for their persistent coal fires since 1916, have been the focus of numerous studies and interventions. Following nationalisation, a series of initiatives have aimed to mitigate the environmental and social impact of the fires and land subsidence in the region.