Jharia
Encyclopedia
Jharia is a notified area
and one of eight development blocks in Dhanbad district
in Jharkhand
state
, India
. More than one town in India shares this name.
.
, Jharia had a population of 81,979. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Jharia has an average literacy rate of 68%, lower than the national average of 74.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Jharia, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
suitable for coke. Most of India's coal comes from Jharia. Jaria coal mines are India's most important storehouse of prime coke
coal used in blast furnaces, it consists of 23 large underground and nine large open cast mines.
The mining activities in these coalfields started in 1894 and had really intensified in 1925.The first Indians to arrive and break monpoly of British in Coal mining were Mistri
of Kutch, who were primarily involved in Railway Contratcs but some of them decided to plunge into Coal mining business.In Jharia-Dhanbad belt Seth Khora Ramji Chawda
of Sinugra
founded Khas Jharia, Golden Jharia, Fatehpur, Balihari,Khas Jeenagora, East Bagatdih Colliries. with their brothers, Jairam Teja Ramji, Jetha Lira Jethwa, Mulji Akhoy, Narayan Pachan Chowra between years 1894-1910. In Pure Jharia Colliery Khora Ramji and brothers were partners with Diwan Bahadur D.D. Thacker. Govamal Jivan Chauhan of Kumbharia
founded Pandubra and Golukdih Collieries during 1908-10. The life-sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra and Govamal Jivan Chauhan of Kumbharia is mentioned specially by British in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa mentioning their feats of Railway works and Coal Mining. The other notable from this community were Ramji Gangji Sawaria of Kumbharia
founded Basra Colliery, brothers Khimjee Dossa & Gangjee Dossa Jethwa of Nagalpar
founded collieries at Tisra and Katras, Joyram Gohil of Sinugra
founded Joyrampur & Khas Bagatdih Collieries, Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan
of Nagor
& Manji Jeram of Madhapar
founded Rajapur Colliery. Dana Premji Maru of Devaliya, Karamsinh Ghela Chawda of Devaliya, Khimji Valji Chauhan of Reha
, Dhanji Ratanji (Diamond Coal Co) of Nagalpar
, Khengarji Triku, Dhanji Devshi of Madhapar
, Ratna Mepa of Devaliya, Jairam Shivjee of Khedoi
, Valji Narayan Chauhan , Veera Mavji, Dahya Valji of K.S.Nanji , Ruda Manji all started collieries at Tisra
, Katras
, Jharia coalfields. Ghela Pachan Parmar of Kukma
founded Jambad & Kajoragram Coal Mines near Asansol
in Bengal, to name a few. The Rathod Market built by K.P. Rathod and Chawda Market by Karamsinh Ghela Chawra & Viram Ghela Chawra in Dhanbad
are built by this community during those years. They laid the foundation of coalliries in Dhanbad-Jharia-Bokaro fields on which the later other communities like Punjabis (Khanna, Thapar), other Kutchi Communities (Nandwans, Chanchani, Worah, Ojhas), Marwaris (Agarwals, Poddars), Gujarati (Patel, Thacker) also followed and prospered in decades after 1930. Out of 92 collieries belonging to Gujratis in Jharia Coalfields Area during 1930s - 50 belonged to Mistris of Kutch. In the life sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawda given in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa - the British have noted that - "In Jharia Coalfield he was first Indian to seize the opportunity and by his prompt entry into colliery business, he was able to remove the stigma that would otherwise be levelled against his community as backward class." Seth Khora Ramji of Sinugra
was also honoured by King of Kutch Maharao Shri Khengarji Bawa
by giving him a Paghdi
. Khora Ramji died in year 1923, a decade after his death in 1925, two of his collieries Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, then run by his son Ambalal Khora capsized due to now infamous underground fires.The others were T.K. Khanna, J.K. Agarwalla, Kesabji Pitamber, Haithibhai Patel, Chaturbhai Sangjibhai, Kalyanji Mavji. Among the other Kutchis and gujratis and other communities that followed were Nandwana Amritlal Morarjee & Kriparshankar Worah & Narveram Chanchani as Chanchani & Worah, Amritalal Ojha, Lala Karamchand Thapar, who made it big in thsese field post World-War-I. Amritlal Ojha & Karamchand Thapar later went on to become President of International Chamber of Commerce . When the coal mines were nationalized a major chunk of these coal bearing region from Ranigunj-Paraskole was with the Chanchani, Worah, Poddars & Mistris of Kutch. Rai Bahadur D D Thacker also started a Labour's School in Jharia to train labours for coalmines. While the Gujrati Primary School at Jharia for children was started by Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas
-Mistri
Colliery owners, who felt the need of a Primary School at Jharia. Although, after nationalisation of the coal mines in 1971-73 all of them lost their mines and assets and a downturn in fortune of this community came. But history is witness to the fact that the credit of being the first Indians goes to Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas
or Mistris of Kutch, who broke monopoly of British and European companies in coal mining field, a fact noted by British themselves in Life-sketch of Khora Ramji Chawda in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa.
After the mines were nationalized in 1971, due to easy availability of coal, many steel
plants are set up in close proximity to Jharia. Many steel companies such as Tata Steel
, IISCO
, SAIL
have taken coal field on lease in Jharia.
that has burned underground for nearly a century. The first fire was detected in 1916.. In 1972, more than 70 mine fires were reported in this region.
As per records of Mistri
community, Seth Khora Ramji Chawda
(1860–1923), the first native Indian who broke monopoly of British & European by entering into Coal mining business in Jharia Coalfields Belt in year 1894, died in year 1923. After his death in 1938, two of his collieries, Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, capsized due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house & bungalow also capsized.
More than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to Brinda Karat
, "Jharia township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster." . The government has been criticized for a perceived lackadaisical attitude towards the safety of the people of Jharia. Heavy fumes emitted by the fires lead to severe health problems such as breathing disorders and skin diseases among the local population .
Notified area
In urban planning, a notified area is any land area earmarked by legal provision for future development. The term is used in the Hindi belt region of North India....
and one of eight development blocks in Dhanbad district
Dhanbad District
Dhanbad district is one of the twenty-four districts of Jharkhand state, India, and Dhanbad is the administrative headquarters of this district...
in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
state
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. More than one town in India shares this name.
City
Jharia is famous for its rich coal resource. Coal from Jharia is used to make Coke. Jharia plays a very important role in the economy & development of The Dhanbad City, and can be considered as a part of The Dhanbad City. Jharia is the fifteenth largest town in the state of JharkhandJharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Jharia had a population of 81,979. Males constitute 54% of the population and females 46%. Jharia has an average literacy rate of 68%, lower than the national average of 74.5%: male literacy is 74%, and female literacy is 60%. In Jharia, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Relocation
According to the state government, the town of Jharia is to be shifted due to the uncontrollable coal mine fires (see below), which have found to be undousable, leading to loss of property and lives. Coal worth Rs. 60,000 crore (US$12 billion) is lying unmined, and the state government feels the shifting will help in exploiting this resource.Coal field
The coal field lies in the Damodar River Valley, and covers about 110 square miles (280 square km), and produces bituminous coalCoal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
suitable for coke. Most of India's coal comes from Jharia. Jaria coal mines are India's most important storehouse of prime coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
coal used in blast furnaces, it consists of 23 large underground and nine large open cast mines.
The mining activities in these coalfields started in 1894 and had really intensified in 1925.The first Indians to arrive and break monpoly of British in Coal mining were Mistri
Mistri
Mistri, or Mistry, is a term for a master-craftsman, foreman or supervisor of manual workers in India. Mistri is being replaced with "supervisor" and other terms, as for example by the Indian Railway who replaced it with supervisor in 2005....
of Kutch, who were primarily involved in Railway Contratcs but some of them decided to plunge into Coal mining business.In Jharia-Dhanbad belt Seth Khora Ramji Chawda
Seth Khora Ramji Chawda
Khora Ramji Chawda , better known as Seth Khora Ramji, was a reputed Railway Contractor, Coal mines owner and Banker of early 20th Century in India, who worked from Dhanbad and Jharia. He was born in a small village called Sinugra in Kutch and belonged to KGK Community...
of Sinugra
Sinugra
Sinugra or Shinoogra or Sinogra or Sinougra is a village near the town of Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The village is located 7 km from the nearest city Anjar...
founded Khas Jharia, Golden Jharia, Fatehpur, Balihari,Khas Jeenagora, East Bagatdih Colliries. with their brothers, Jairam Teja Ramji, Jetha Lira Jethwa, Mulji Akhoy, Narayan Pachan Chowra between years 1894-1910. In Pure Jharia Colliery Khora Ramji and brothers were partners with Diwan Bahadur D.D. Thacker. Govamal Jivan Chauhan of Kumbharia
Kumbharia
Kumbharia or Kumbhariyu is village in Anjar Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat State of India. It is situated at a distance of 14 km from Anjar town & Taluka Headquarter.-History:...
founded Pandubra and Golukdih Collieries during 1908-10. The life-sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawda of Sinugra and Govamal Jivan Chauhan of Kumbharia is mentioned specially by British in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa mentioning their feats of Railway works and Coal Mining. The other notable from this community were Ramji Gangji Sawaria of Kumbharia
Kumbharia
Kumbharia or Kumbhariyu is village in Anjar Taluka of Kutch District of Gujarat State of India. It is situated at a distance of 14 km from Anjar town & Taluka Headquarter.-History:...
founded Basra Colliery, brothers Khimjee Dossa & Gangjee Dossa Jethwa of Nagalpar
Nagalpar
Nagalpur or Nagalpar is a small village in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. It comes under Anjar taluka.-History:About history of Nagalpar or Nagalpur it is one of the 19 villages established by Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris as they are known in Kutch...
founded collieries at Tisra and Katras, Joyram Gohil of Sinugra
Sinugra
Sinugra or Shinoogra or Sinogra or Sinougra is a village near the town of Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The village is located 7 km from the nearest city Anjar...
founded Joyrampur & Khas Bagatdih Collieries, Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan
Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja Chauhan
Jagmal Raja Chauhan , better known as Rai Bahadur Jagmal Raja, was an industrialist in Bombay and a railway contractor at the time of Independence of India. He was born in a small village named Nagher, in Kutch and belonged the Kutch Gurjar Kashtriya community...
of Nagor
Nagor
Nagor or Nagher is a village in Bhuj Taluka of Kutch at a distance of about 8 km from Bhuj town, the capital of Kachchh District of Gujarat in India.-History:...
& Manji Jeram of Madhapar
Madhapar
Madhapar is a large village located in south western Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. Bhuj is the regional hub of the town where the nearest airport exists...
founded Rajapur Colliery. Dana Premji Maru of Devaliya, Karamsinh Ghela Chawda of Devaliya, Khimji Valji Chauhan of Reha
Reha
Reha is a village in Bhuj Taluka of Kutch at a distance of about 15 km from Bhuj town, the capital of Kachchh District of Gujarat in India.-History:About the history of Reha it is one of the 19 villages founded by Kutch...
, Dhanji Ratanji (Diamond Coal Co) of Nagalpar
Nagalpar
Nagalpur or Nagalpar is a small village in Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. It comes under Anjar taluka.-History:About history of Nagalpar or Nagalpur it is one of the 19 villages established by Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris as they are known in Kutch...
, Khengarji Triku, Dhanji Devshi of Madhapar
Madhapar
Madhapar is a large village located in south western Kutch district in the state of Gujarat, India. Bhuj is the regional hub of the town where the nearest airport exists...
, Ratna Mepa of Devaliya, Jairam Shivjee of Khedoi
Khedoi
Khedoi is large village near the town Anjar and the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat.Village is located 14 KM from nearest town Anjar.Village is again sub-divided into Nani-Khedoi and Moti-Khedoi...
, Valji Narayan Chauhan , Veera Mavji, Dahya Valji of K.S.Nanji , Ruda Manji all started collieries at Tisra
Tisra
Tisra is a census town in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Demographics: India census, Tisra had a population of 53,547. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Tisra has an average literacy rate of 58%, lower than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is...
, Katras
Katras
Katras is a town equivalent to a city in terms of facilities and a notified area in Dhanbad district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.-Geography:Katras is located at . It has an average elevation of 201 metres .-Demographics:...
, Jharia coalfields. Ghela Pachan Parmar of Kukma
Kukma
Kukma or Kookma is a village near the Bhuj town, taluka in Kachchh District of Indian State of Gujarat. It is located at a distance of 16 kilometers from Bhuj, the headquarters of Kachchh District.-History:...
founded Jambad & Kajoragram Coal Mines near Asansol
Asansol
Asansol is a coal mining and industrial metropolis and one of the busiest commercial centres in India. It is the second largest city and urban agglomeration in West Bengal after Kolkata and the 19th largest urban agglomeration in India. Asansol is located in the western part of the Burdwan...
in Bengal, to name a few. The Rathod Market built by K.P. Rathod and Chawda Market by Karamsinh Ghela Chawra & Viram Ghela Chawra in Dhanbad
Dhanbad
Dhanbad features climate that is transitional between a humid subtropical climate and a tropical wet and dry climate. Summer starts from last week of March and ends in mid-June. Peak temperature in summer can reach 47oC. Dhanbad also receives heavy rainfall...
are built by this community during those years. They laid the foundation of coalliries in Dhanbad-Jharia-Bokaro fields on which the later other communities like Punjabis (Khanna, Thapar), other Kutchi Communities (Nandwans, Chanchani, Worah, Ojhas), Marwaris (Agarwals, Poddars), Gujarati (Patel, Thacker) also followed and prospered in decades after 1930. Out of 92 collieries belonging to Gujratis in Jharia Coalfields Area during 1930s - 50 belonged to Mistris of Kutch. In the life sketch of Seth Khora Ramji Chawda given in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa - the British have noted that - "In Jharia Coalfield he was first Indian to seize the opportunity and by his prompt entry into colliery business, he was able to remove the stigma that would otherwise be levelled against his community as backward class." Seth Khora Ramji of Sinugra
Sinugra
Sinugra or Shinoogra or Sinogra or Sinougra is a village near the town of Anjar, the taluka of Kutch district in the Indian state of Gujarat. The village is located 7 km from the nearest city Anjar...
was also honoured by King of Kutch Maharao Shri Khengarji Bawa
Khengarji III of Kutch
Maharajadhiraj Mirza Maharao Sri Sir Khengarji III Sawai Bahadur, GCSI, GCIE, KIH was a progressive and one of the longest ruling, Maharao of the Princely State of Cutch from 1875 to 1942....
by giving him a Paghdi
Turban
In English, Turban refers to several types of headwear popularly worn in the Middle East, North Africa, Punjab, Jamaica and Southwest Asia. A commonly used synonym is Pagri, the Indian word for turban.-Styles:...
. Khora Ramji died in year 1923, a decade after his death in 1925, two of his collieries Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, then run by his son Ambalal Khora capsized due to now infamous underground fires.The others were T.K. Khanna, J.K. Agarwalla, Kesabji Pitamber, Haithibhai Patel, Chaturbhai Sangjibhai, Kalyanji Mavji. Among the other Kutchis and gujratis and other communities that followed were Nandwana Amritlal Morarjee & Kriparshankar Worah & Narveram Chanchani as Chanchani & Worah, Amritalal Ojha, Lala Karamchand Thapar, who made it big in thsese field post World-War-I. Amritlal Ojha & Karamchand Thapar later went on to become President of International Chamber of Commerce . When the coal mines were nationalized a major chunk of these coal bearing region from Ranigunj-Paraskole was with the Chanchani, Worah, Poddars & Mistris of Kutch. Rai Bahadur D D Thacker also started a Labour's School in Jharia to train labours for coalmines. While the Gujrati Primary School at Jharia for children was started by Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas
Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas
Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris of Kutch or Kadia Kshatriyas of Kutch, are a Hindu community of the Kutch District of Gujarat state in India...
-Mistri
Mistri
Mistri, or Mistry, is a term for a master-craftsman, foreman or supervisor of manual workers in India. Mistri is being replaced with "supervisor" and other terms, as for example by the Indian Railway who replaced it with supervisor in 2005....
Colliery owners, who felt the need of a Primary School at Jharia. Although, after nationalisation of the coal mines in 1971-73 all of them lost their mines and assets and a downturn in fortune of this community came. But history is witness to the fact that the credit of being the first Indians goes to Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas
Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas
Kutch Gurjar Kshatriyas or Mistris of Kutch or Kadia Kshatriyas of Kutch, are a Hindu community of the Kutch District of Gujarat state in India...
or Mistris of Kutch, who broke monopoly of British and European companies in coal mining field, a fact noted by British themselves in Life-sketch of Khora Ramji Chawda in Encyclopedia of Bengal, Bihar & Orissa.
After the mines were nationalized in 1971, due to easy availability of coal, many steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
plants are set up in close proximity to Jharia. Many steel companies such as Tata Steel
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
, IISCO
IISCO
IISCO Steel Plant of Steel Authority of India Limited is located at Burnpur, near Asansol. The turbulent history of the plant, starting from its pioneering days, has found it a place in industrial history....
, SAIL
Steel Authority of India Limited
Steel Authority of India Limited from 116950 The company's current chairman is C.S Verma. With an annual production of 13.5 million metric tons, SAIL is the 14th largest steel producer in the world....
have taken coal field on lease in Jharia.
Coal field fire
Jharia is famous for a coal field fireMine fire
A coal seam fire or mine fire is the underground smouldering of a coal deposit, often in a coal mine. Such fires have economic, social and ecological impacts...
that has burned underground for nearly a century. The first fire was detected in 1916.. In 1972, more than 70 mine fires were reported in this region.
As per records of Mistri
Mistri
Mistri, or Mistry, is a term for a master-craftsman, foreman or supervisor of manual workers in India. Mistri is being replaced with "supervisor" and other terms, as for example by the Indian Railway who replaced it with supervisor in 2005....
community, Seth Khora Ramji Chawda
Seth Khora Ramji Chawda
Khora Ramji Chawda , better known as Seth Khora Ramji, was a reputed Railway Contractor, Coal mines owner and Banker of early 20th Century in India, who worked from Dhanbad and Jharia. He was born in a small village called Sinugra in Kutch and belonged to KGK Community...
(1860–1923), the first native Indian who broke monopoly of British & European by entering into Coal mining business in Jharia Coalfields Belt in year 1894, died in year 1923. After his death in 1938, two of his collieries, Khas Jharia & Golden Jharia, capsized due to now infamous underground fires, in which their house & bungalow also capsized.
More than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to Brinda Karat
Brinda Karat
Brinda Karat is a communist politician from India, elected to the Rajya Sabha as a Communist Party of India CPI member, on 11 April 2005 for West Bengal.In 2005, she became the first woman member of the CPI Politburo...
, "Jharia township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster." . The government has been criticized for a perceived lackadaisical attitude towards the safety of the people of Jharia. Heavy fumes emitted by the fires lead to severe health problems such as breathing disorders and skin diseases among the local population .
External links
- Official data on Jharia Block
- Official map of Dhanbad district
- JHARIA BURNING - Track the heat. Locate the people, the coal and the fire
Further reading
- Reinventing Jharia Coalfield. Edited by N.C. Saxena, Gurdeep Singh, K.N. Singh and B.N. Pan. Jodhpur, Scientific, 2005, vi, 246 p.. ISBN 81-7233-398-6.