Dhanbad/Bokaro, April 18: Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal today held the state government responsible for the delay in relocation of people from fire-affected areas in Jharia, arguing the Centre had poured sufficient funds into the rehabilitation plan. “The Union government can offer money, technical expertise and even lay out a plan on how to put out the raging fire in Jharia, but the work has to be done by the state government. The Centre cannot be blamed,” Jaiswal told The Telegraph at the Bokaro aerodrome en route to Dhanbad.

Bokaro district administration, Central Coalfields Limited, railway authorities, mining and forest officials will jointly crack down on illegal coal miners from Friday. Concerned over rampant illegal mining in Chas and Bermo subdivisions of Bokaro, from where tonnes of coal are smuggled out daily on dumpers, trucks and even passenger trains, the crackdown will focus on illegal miners and transporters alike.

The crisis is set to deepen for BCCL with the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) now deciding to deal a double whammy — show cause and closure notices with immediate effect from Tuesday — to 35 more mines under the PSU in Dhanbad for not clearing the green test. On March 16, shutdown orders had been issued to eight mines of the Coal India Limited subsidiary for operating without mandatory environmental clearances.

Alarmed over the fact that there are more than 8,000 HIV positive people in the state, expecting mothers, particularly in rural pockets, will soon be offered an HIV test as part of the pre-natal care by the authorities in order to safeguard the next generation. This initiative has been taken by Jharkhand State Aids Control Society (JSACS) in collaboration with National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Nature serves well even when rivers run dry. Students of Government Polytechnic-Nirsa who recently unearthed four artesian wells in a rocky stretch of Dhanbad, will surely vouch for the natural source of water that promises succour as another arid summer looms. The nine final-year civil engineering (diploma) students, under the guidance of senior lecturer of the institute Suresh Prasad Yadav, spotted the four wells in Baliapur block of the district — one at Rangatand near Sindri police outpost and three at Chandkuian, Paharpur and near Bhuiphore temple.

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has slapped Rs 13.77 crore penalty on Hindalco for unauthorised sale and inept handling of anode butts which are generated as waste from the company’s Hirakud plant. Invoking the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle, the Board penalised the Aditya Birla Group-owned company for violation of the Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2008, under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

In the middle of a raging, divisive debate in Jharkhand over the provisions of a law that aims to protect the tribals’ land, several politicians, including some in the ruling coalition, are battling accusations of having acquired land in utter violation of this law.

A routine road trip from Ranchi to Dhanbad was enough for an aghast senior functionary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to pull up Jharkhand for illegal mining and exploitation of tribals at the hands of the coal mafia. A source told The Telegraph that NHRC secretary-general Rajiv Sharma had visited the state in January.

Calling Dhanbad district a “hotbed” of gangs indulging in illicit coal trade, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday issued notice to Jharkhand Government over economic hardships faced by tribals and “illegal mining” in the Naxal-affected area.

The Commission said that “abject poverty” was the reason behind spread of Naxalism in the region.

Regarding mining, the NHRC said that gangs were recruiting local tribals to illegally mine coal and pointed out the inadequate response to the threat posed by underground coal fires in the region.

Coal belt police have pulled up their socks to wage war against drunken driving and illegal coal mining. Lakshman Prasad Singh, the coal belt DIG, while talking to reporters on Sunday said breath analysers from Dhanbad would be introduced in Bokaro to conduct surprise inspections. Those found guilty will be brought to book.