Villagers in Laltanganj, on the outskirts of Jharia, point towards the several open coal seam fires and smoke vents that surround their village. All day and night the fires rage and spread just below the surface. They spew noxious fumes into the air, which often cause respiratory problems and skin diseases for the people living here. © Souvid Datta
On the outskirts of Jharia, in the village of Laltanganj, a large open fire burns at night, billowing dangerous fumes of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide into the air only meters away from people's homes. © Souvid Datta
Almost all the poorer inhabitants and villagers of Jharia work in the coal trade, beginning with children as young as five. Here, a group of child scavengers gather outside an opencast mine at dawn preparing to illegally collect coal for sale. © Souvid Datta
Scavengers from Jharia's villages head towards the several opencast coal mines nearby, such as this one in Ghunudi, every dawn. With few other jobs available for those without education or resources, coal mining has become a sole means of subsistence and a way of life for many living here. © Souvid Datta
Miners break down and collect fresh coking coal for personal sale inside a Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) state-run and operated mine at dawn. © Souvid Datta
Hundreds of miners carry the collected coal to preparation points to later sell it in Jharia or the nearby city of Dhanbad. © Souvid Datta
A young miner covered in coal dust at the end of a long shift at one of Jharia’s many loading points. © Souvid Datta
Miners load fresh coking coal inside a Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) state-run mine on the outskirts of Jharia. The entire town has expanded in recent decades to become a hub for coal production. Besides state-owned companies like BCCL, private companies—such as TATA and Deko—operate in Jharkhand’s coal belt as well. © Souvid Datta
Miners break down and collect fresh coking coal for personal sale inside a Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) state-run mine at dawn. © Souvid Datta
Driving into the heart of one of Jharia's vast state-run opencast mines. © Souvid Datta
A man covers his face to avoid breathing in the noxious dust sweeping up from one of Jharia's sprawling state-run, opencast mines at dawn. © Souvid Datta
Sakhina Khetu, in her home in Bokapahari, explains how the Jharkhand Rehabilitation and Development Authority (JRDA) is working with Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) to supervise the eviction and resettlement process for villagers living too close to open coal seam fires. Though the resettlement initiative is the largest of its kind, aiming to relocate 300,000 people to Belgharia, 12km away, the management and execution have been dismal. Delayed construction, undersized rooms and insufficient compensation have left many residents resentful, jobless and fearful for their futures. This is why Sakhina is refusing to leave Bokapahari—which has been home to her for years. © Souvid Datta
A young resident of Bokapahari village. The settlement is surrounded by open fires and smoke vents, making life dangerous for everyone here, especially children. © Souvid Datta
Rinku, a pregnant young woman, sits on the doorstep of her home in Laltanganj village on the edge of Jharia. 20 meters away, in the background, a large open fire is raging and spewing carcinogenic gasses into the air. © Souvid Datta
A young resident of Bokapahari village. The settlement is surrounded by open fires and smoke vents, making life dangerous for everyone here, especially children. © Souvid Datta
Children play around a line of scorching open fires that run along the edge of Laltanganj village on the outskirts of Jharia. © Souvid Datta
Flames and noxious gasses rise up from fissures in the earth by Laltanganj village at sunset. © Souvid Datta
Dr S.K. Bhagania holds up an X-ray for a coal-mining patient revealing a mass in their lungs. Many locals working in the coal industry and living near the open fires suffer from severe respiratory ailments, including tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis and asthma. © Souvid Datta
Maskan, 12, in the Dhanbad city hospital. On 17th September 2015, she fell into crevice with an open fire burning. Her right leg and left arm were so severely injured they had to be amputated upon arrival at the hospital. The incident occurred on land belonging to—and supervised by—Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), meaning that workers as well as residents within its limits fall under the company's scope of responsibility and liability. Yet, despite several claims made by Maskan's parents and village authorities, BCCL has refused to acknowledge the incident, let alone organize medical aid or compensation. Instead, the village representative, Desserath, spoke of thugs coming to Maskan’s family house soon after her father spoke out, threatening him and his family, unless they stopped speaking ill of BCCL and drawing attention to the incident. With already dismal prospects as a poor villager of Jharia, Maskan's future now looks even worse—her disability will likely hinder her education and chances for marriage later. The open fires and the irresponsibility of the state-run coal company have likely ruined her life chances. © Souvid Datta
An overview of the north corner of Belgharia township. The state-run resettlement initiative is the largest of its kind, aiming to relocate 300,000 people from their original homes near Jharia, 12km away. Again, the operation's management and execution have been dismal. Buildings constructed only three years ago stand caked in coal dust and lacking in sewage management and electricity infrastructure. Delayed construction, undersized rooms and insufficient compensation have also left many residents resentful, jobless and fearful for their futures. Many still make the journey back to Jharia everyday to attempt working in the coal mines, either officially —if possible—or more likely, as illegal scavengers. © Souvid Datta
A resident describes his experience of having been moved from Ghunudi, near Jharia, to Belgharia. © Souvid Datta
New three-story buildings are set for construction on the outskirts of Belgharia. © Souvid Datta
Villagers on the edge of Jharia walk past one of the many open fires raging on the town's outskirts. Dislocated, suppressed and unable to find work beyond the corrupt coal industry, residents of Jharia seem to have bleak prospects. Their lives and struggles are the embodiment of the true human cost related to India's vast, lucrative and expanding coal operations. © Souvid Datta