Dhanbad Land Subsidence: 150+ Households to be Relocated Amidst Safety Concerns

Dhanbad: Authorities have identified more than 150 households in vulnerable zones following the recent land subsidence in Dhanbad district’s Tandabadi village and are preparing to shift the residents to safer locations at the earliest, officials said.

Many residents, who were earlier reluctant to leave their homes, are now willing to relocate in view of safety concerns. Officials said that people living in fire-affected and high-risk zones are being given priority in the shifting process.

Sources said the identified families will be resettled in BCCL colonies, including Kolmorna, while arrangements are being made under the new rehabilitation policy to accommodate others in Belgadia township. Temporary relief camps have been set up, but officials said that these are not long-term solutions.

The district has witnessed four major incidents of subsidence over the past year, contributing to panic among residents. On March 28, three persons, including a man and his daughter, were buried alive when their house suddenly sank nearly 20 feet into the ground after land subisdence in Tandabadi. On July 19 last year, a cave-in near Indira Chowk in Jharia swallowed a mini-truck, sending plumes of dust and smoke in the air. Days later, nine persons lost their lives in a cave-in near the Jamunia river in Kesargarh, allegedly during illegal mining. In Sept 2025, two died in a subsidence at Chapapur colliery in Nirsa.

Despite repeated incidents, locals have questioned the alleged lack of concrete action by the administration, BCCL and DGMS. Illegal coal mining is being alleged to be a major cause behind these recurring land subsidence.

CMD of BCCL, Manoj Agarwal, stated that rehabilitation efforts have been expedited under a revised policy, while deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan emphasised that permanent relocation remains the only viable solution for affected families.