| Jharia | |
| — city — | |
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| Coordinates | |
| Country | India |
| State | Jharkhand |
| District(s) | Dhanbad |
| Population | 81,979 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+05:30) |
| Area |
• 77 metres (253 ft) |
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Footnotes
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Jharia is a notified area and one of eight development blocks[1] in Dhanbad district in Jharkhand state, India. More than one town in India shares this name.
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Jharia is famous for its rich coal resource. Coal from Jharia is used to make Coke. Jharia plays a very important role in the economy & development of The Dhanbad City, and can be considered as a part of The Dhanbad City. Jharia is the fifteenth largest town in the state of Jharkhand [2].
As of 2001[update] India census,[3] Jharia had a population of 81,979. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Jharia has an average literacy rate of 68%, lower than the national average of 74.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Jharia, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
According to the state government, the town of Jharia is to be shifted due to the uncontrollable coal mine fires (see below), which have found to be undousable, leading to loss of property and lives. Coal worth Rs. 60,000 crore (US$12 billion) is lying unmined, and the state government feels the shifting will help in exploiting this resource.[4]
The coal field lies in the Damodar River Valley, and covers about 110 square miles (280 square km), and produces bituminous coal suitable for coke. Most of India's coal comes from Jharia. Jaria coal mines are India's most important storehouse [5] of prime coke coal used in blast furnaces, it consists of 23 large underground and nine large open cast mines[4].
The mining activities in these coalfields started in 1894 and had really intensified in 1925.The first Indians to arrive and break monpoly of British in Coal mining were Mistri of Kutch, who were primarily involved in Railway Contratcs but some of them decided to plunge into Coal mining business.In Jharia-Dhanbad belt Seth Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra founded Khas Jharia, Golden Jharia, Fatehpur, Balihari,Khas Jeenagora, East Bagatdih Colliries. with their brothers, Jairam Teja Ramji, Jetha Lira Jethwa, Mulji Akhoy, Narayan Pachan Chowra between years 1894-1910. In Pure Jharia Colliery Khora Ramji and brothers were partners with Diwan Bahadur D.D. Thacker. Govamal Jivan Chauhan of Kumbharia founded Pandubra and Golukdih Collieries during 1908-10. The life-sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra and Govamal Jivan Chauhan of Kumbharia is mentioned specially by British in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa mentioning their feats of Railway works and Coal Mining. The other notable from this community were Ramji Gangji Sawaria of Kumbharia founded Basra Colliery, brothers Khimjee Dossa & Gangjee Dossa Jethwa of Nagalpar founded collieries at Tisra and Katras, Joyram Gohil of Sinugra founded Joyrampur & Khas Bagatdih Collieries, Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan of Nagor & Manji Jeram of Madhapar founded Rajapur Colliery. Dana Premji Maru of Devaliya, Karamsinh Ghela Chawda of Devaliya, Khimji Valji Chauhan of Reha, Dhanji Ratanji (Diamond Coal Co) of Nagalpar, Khengarji Triku, Dhanji Devshi of Madhapar, Ratna Mepa of Devaliya, Jairam Shivjee of Khedoi, Valji Narayan Chauhan , Veera Mavji, Dahya Valji of K.S.Nanji , Ruda Manji all started collieries at Tisra, Katras, Jharia coalfields. Ghela Pachan Parmar of Kukma founded Jambad & Kajoragram Coal Mines near Asansol in Bengal, to name a few. The Rathod Market built by K.P. Rathod and Chawda Market by Karamsinh Ghela Chawra & Viram Ghela Chawra in Dhanbad are built by this community during those years. They laid the foundation of coalliries in Dhanbad-Jharia-Bokaro fields on which the later other communities like Punjabis (Khanna, Thapar), other Kutchi Communities (Nandwans, Chanchani, Worah, Ojhas), Marwaris (Agarwals, Poddars), Gujarati (Patel, Thacker) also followed and prospered in decades after 1930. Out of 92 collieries belonging to Gujratis in Jharia Coalfields Area during 1930s - 50 belonged to Mistris of Kutch. In the life sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawda given in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa - the British have noted that - "In Jharia Coalfield he was first Indian to seize the opportunity and by his prompt entry into colliery business, he was able to remove the stigma that would otherwise be levelled against his community as backward class." Seth Khora Ramji of Sinugra was also honoured by King of Kutch Maharao Shri Khengarji Bawa by giving him a Paghdi. Khora Ramji died in year 1923, a decade after his death in 1925, two of his collieries Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, then run by his son Ambalal Khora[6] capsized due to now infamous underground fires.The others were T.K. Khanna, J.K. Agarwalla, Kesabji Pitamber, Haithibhai Patel, Chaturbhai Sangjibhai, Kalyanji Mavji. Among the other Kutchis and gujratis and other communities that followed were Nandwana Amritlal Morarjee & Kriparshankar Worah & Narveram Chanchani as Chanchani & Worah, Amritalal Ojha, Lala Karamchand Thapar, who made it big in thsese field post World-War-I. Amritlal Ojha & Karamchand Thapar later went on to become President of International Chamber of Commerce . When the coal mines were nationalized a major chunk of these coal bearing region from Ranigunj-Paraskole was with the Chanchani, Worah, Poddars & Mistris of Kutch. Rai Bahadur D D Thacker also started a Labour's School in Jharia to train labours for coalmines. While the Gujrati Primary School at Jharia for children was started by Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas-Mistri Colliery owners, who felt the need of a Primary School at Jharia. Although, after nationalisation of the coal mines in 1971-73 all of them lost their mines and assets and a downturn in fortune of this community came. But history is witness to the fact that the credit of being the first Indians goes to Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris of Kutch, who broke monopoly of British and European companies in coal mining field, a fact noted by British themselves in Life-sketch of Khora Ramji Chawda in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa.[7][8] [9] [10] [11][12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17][18]
After the mines were nationalized in 1971, due to easy availability of coal, many steel plants are set up in close proximity to Jharia. Many steel companies such as Tata Steel, IISCO, SAIL have taken coal field on lease in Jharia.
Jharia is famous for a coal field fire that has burned underground for nearly a century. The first fire was detected in 1916.[4]. In 1972, more than 70 mine fires were reported in this region.
As per records of Mistri community, Seth Khora Ramji Chawda (1860–1923), the first native Indian who broke monopoly of British & European by entering into Coal mining business in Jharia Coalfields Belt in year 1894, died in year 1923. After his death in 1938, two of his collieries, Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, capsized due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house & bungalow also capsized.[9][11][12][19][20]
More than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to Brinda Karat, "Jharia township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster." [21]. The government has been criticized for a perceived lackadaisical attitude[22] towards the safety of the people of Jharia.[23] Heavy fumes emitted by the fires [24] lead to severe health problems such as breathing disorders and skin diseases among the local population [25].