UNDERGROUND COAL FIRES IN INDIA ARE CAUSING PEOPLE'S HOMES TO FALL INTO THE EARTH

Sarah,

I found this piece of news particularly terrifying.  In the north-east of India, an underground coal fire is causing villages to fall into the Earth.

A coal fire occurs when an underground deposit of coal is ignited.  Because coal burns for so long, coal fires can smolder for decades.  This coal deposit in India has been smoldering since 1916.

While the coal is burning, it continually releases toxic gases that escape at the surface and are often ignited.  As a result, fireballs routinely shoot out of the Earth around these people’s houses.


However, fireballs are only the second most terrifying feature of the coal fire.  After all the coal is consumed by the fire, a huge chasm is left behind.  These chasms render the ground unstable.  Since 1995, 250 homes have been destroyed,some falling 50 feet into the ground without warning.

A Coal Fire

So what is the Indian government doing to remedy this hell on Earth?  Seemingly very little.  They do not plan to put out the fire.(it’s unclear that they are even able to, but similar fires were put out in the 70’sand 80’s)  Instead, they claim they are relocating the affected population. Unfortunately, the relocation effort that was initiated in 1996 has only moved 1,150 people out of a total population of over 90,000.

So what gives?  The Los Angles Times has a great quote from a government critic explaining the crappy response from the government.  He explains that in a tsunami or an earthquake, a great urgency is created- many people are in crisis simultaneously. However, this coal fire is slowly and capriciously picking off people one by one over several decades and this doesn’t replicate the more dramatic impact of a traditional disaster.  The more cynical theory espoused by the villagers is that the government is letting the fires burn so that people will leave and the coal companies can get the land for cheaper.

Bottom line: it’s rough to be poor in India.