Coal India Limited (20 images)

The state of Jharkhand in northeast India has been the epicenter of India's
coal mining industry for the past 100 years. The state accounts for 29 percent
of India's coal reserves. It has reserves of over 72,000 million tons of coal and
approximately 80 million tons are extracted each year.

Rampant and unregulated mining has converted forests into wastelands and
made the region uninhabitable for the local population of Adivasis (tribals)
who rely...
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The state of Jharkhand in northeast India has been the epicenter of India's
coal mining industry for the past 100 years. The state accounts for 29 percent
of India's coal reserves. It has reserves of over 72,000 million tons of coal and
approximately 80 million tons are extracted each year.

Rampant and unregulated mining has converted forests into wastelands and
made the region uninhabitable for the local population of Adivasis (tribals)
who rely largely on the forests for sustenance. According to estimates over a
million Adivasis were displaced between 1950 and 2000.

Jharkhand is one of the poorest states in India plagued by a weak
infrastructure and a lack of basic amenities. More than half the state does not
have access to clean drinking water. Illiteracy is one of the highest compared
to the rest of the country. In Jharia, a major coal-mining town, there are
hundreds of underground fires that first started more than 90 years ago when
private companies began mining there. Bokapahari is another area where the
fires are so widespread that most families have been forced to relocate many
miles away.

Coal India Limited, the national coal company, is the largest corporate
employer in the country. It is also the largest coal producing company in the
world. Estimates put their profits at a billion dollars annually.

India, with a population of over one billion relies heavily on coal. As the
demand for coal increases, the state-controlled industry is rapidly leaning
towards more destructive forms of mining.
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