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.

Dhanbad, Jan. 29: More than 2,000 people displaced by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) marched to Maithon’s BSK College Ground, 45 km from the district headquarter, today to take part in a public meeting organised by Adivasi Mahasabha, an organisation that has been fighting for the rights of the displaced for over a decade. Prominent social activists like Swami Agnivesh and Medha Patkar besides former Dhanbad MP Chandrashekhar Dubey joined the agitation, which started around 11am and continued for more than four hours.

Despite the decline in the number of migratory birds this winter in the coal and steel belt of Dhanbad-Bokaro in Jharkhand, poachers continue to kill the winter visitors. The exotic birds that come in search of a home here to escape the severe winter, are ironically finding their way on to the plates of locals.
Thousands of migratory birds belonging to more than 16 species used to visit the subcontinent during early eighties and at present, the number has dropped drastically into hundreds. Now about 500-odd winged guest are visiting in our country, told an official.

Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) is all set to tighten the noose on vehicle workshops and servicing centres in Dhanbad district that generate a large amount of hazardous waste in the form of used fuel and lubricants and have no mechanism in place for their proper disposal.

The board decided to crack down on the errant units following an inspection by its regional office on Friday. It was found that the clauses of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 were being flouted by a number of workshops dealing in heavy and light vehicles.

The government today said it has approved building over 1,000 kilometre of expressways under its flagship road building programme NHDP, entailing an investment of Rs 16,680 crore.

The projects include 400 km long Vadodara-Mumbai, 66 km long Delhi-Meerut, 334 km long Bangalore-Chennai, and 277 km Kolkata-Dhanbad expressways.

Looking to give a push to infrastructure development in the country the central government has approved building over 1,000 kilometres of expressways under its flagship road building programme NHDP at an investment of Rs 16,680 crore. The projects include the 400 km long Vadodara-Mumbai, the 66 km long Delhi-Meerut, 334 km long Bangalore-Chennai, and the 277 km Kolkata-Dhanbad expressways.