People residing in the danger zones of Jharia mines fire in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district will be shifted to safer places in groups on a weekly basis, an official said on Saturday.

Dhanbad administration has decided to shift 10 to 15 families from the danger zones every week.

Dhanbad deputy commissioner Barun Ranja, who is also the managing director Jharia Rehabilitation Development Authority (JRDA), directed the officials to prepare an action plan so that residents of Jharia fire zones could be shifted to safer places on a weekly basis.

"Issue notices to families who refuse to move to safer places. Also, ensure that no new construction or encroachment takes place in danger zones once they are shifted," Ranja directed officials at a review meeting of JRDA.

The fire zones turn dangerous during monsoon. On August 14 night, a father and his two sons fell in a five-metre-deep pit following subsidence in fire-affected Jogta-11 in Sizua area of the district. They were, however, rescued by neighbours.

According to a 2019 survey, 1.04 lakh families are living in Jharia mines fire zones in which 32,064 are legal title holders (LTH), while 72,882 families are residing illegally on the land of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) colliery, an official said.

Under the Jharia Master Plan of the central government, residents of the fire zones should have been shifted to safe places by August 2021, but so far only 2,687 families could have been rehabilitated due to lack of quarters.

The DC said of the 6,352 quarters built at Belagaria Township to rehabilitate residents of Jharia fire zone areas, 2, 687 families of the most dangerous areas have been shifted so far.

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