Daily wage earners, who used to load coal produced by Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) on to trucks, have been rendered jobless after the company cut down production by 50 per cent following the drop in demand after lockdown.

At present, the company is transporting coal only by rail.

Over 5,000 labourers work at different coal loading sites of BCCL in Dhanbad.

Fifty-year-old Bhagatdih resident Arun Mandal, who used to work as a coal loader at BCCL’s Rajapur colliery area, said: “I had raised all my four children with my income as a coal loader. I have never faced such hardships. After the lockdown, we are somehow making do with the khichdi distributed in our locality.”

Om Prakash Yadav, 35, who used to work at Ghanudih locality in Jharia, said he was earning Rs 200-250 per day, but fell on hard times after the Rajapur loading point was shut down following the lockdown.

“If the situation continues like this, I don’t know how I will arrange food for my three childen,” he said.

BCCL director (personnel) R.S. Mahapatra said the company was now producing around 50-55 thousand tonnes per day against 90-95 thousand tonnes. “We were facing difficulty in stocking coal. There is a risk of coal catching fire as many of our projects are located in areas were fire is raging below the surface,” he added.