By Vishal Ranjan Sahu
Ramgarh, Jharkhand: It has been seven months since an underground coal fire began burning beneath the forest of Bhuchungdih village in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, charring the ground and filling the air with smoke and heat.
What started as a forest fire in April, due to debated causes, has now slipped below the surface, spreading to an illegal mining site and igniting underground coal deposits and soil cavities.
Thick smoke and occasional flames rise from the earth, while the once-green forest now lies barren: trees have died, the soil has hardened or crumbled, and the air is heavy with heat.
The fire is now slowly advancing toward the residential part of the village, just 700-800 metres away.
The district administration is still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
Ramgarh District Forest Officer Nitish Kumar said the blaze may have been triggered by long-standing illegal coal mining in the Bhuchungdih forests.
“The reason for the fire is being investigated,” he said. “For many years, people have been digging small underground tunnels, known as rat-hole mines, to steal and sell coal. Some of these tunnels were later abandoned and filled with dry wood, leaves, and plastic waste. During the mahua collection season in April, villagers burn dry leaves to clear the forest floor. The fire likely spread through these abandoned tunnels, where it reached the underground coal seams and set the deposits on fire.”
Jharkhand is among India’s largest coal-producing states, accounting for 26.4% of the country’s total coal reserves, according to the Union Ministry of Coal.
In Ramgarh district alone, coal is extracted from 12 mines, and traces of this mining legacy run deep, visible even in forested areas like Bhuchungdih, where abandoned coal seams lie just beneath the soil.
The villagers, however, dispute the claim that their seasonal burning caused the fire. They said clearing dry leaves before collecting mahua flowers, a forest produce central to their livelihood, is a long-standing local practice and had never led to such incidents before.
The blaze has also altered the forest’s microclimate.
The air is thick with toxic gases, the temperature has risen across the forest, and the ground feels hot. Even 300-400 metres away, the air turns cooler: a sharp contrast that shows how deeply the underground fire has transformed the area.
“The forest used to be cool and fresh,” said Birsa Karmali (52), who grazes his goats there. “Now, warm air blows from it. It feels like some hot gas enters your body when you breathe.”
Across the forest floor, cracks up to 15 metres long and nearly half a metre wide have opened, from which flames and poisonous gases continue to escape.
Villagers said that the smoke drifts toward Bhuchungdih, especially at night, making it difficult to breathe. “Earlier, the air here was clean,” said Satish Mahto (48). “Now, it feels like gas mixes with the air.” Fenken Kewat (65) added, “When the wind blows toward the village, the smoke becomes unbearable.”
Those who depend on the forest for grazing or collecting firewood often return with coughing fits and eye irritation. Nanki Devi (44), who collects tiger grass, a variety of grass used for making brooms, said that these plants grow close to the affected areas. “When I go there to cut broom grass, the smoke makes me cough, and staying there for long makes it hard to breathe,” she said.
Shanti Devi's(46) goats often wander near the burning sites while grazing. “When I go to bring them back, it becomes difficult to breathe. I cover my nose and mouth with a cloth because of the smoke,” she said.
For many in Bhuchungdih, avoiding the fire zone is not an option. Santosh Mahto (42), who earns his living from farming and animal husbandry, said he must take his cattle to graze in the forest despite the risks. “Breathing has become difficult, but where else can we take our cows to graze,” he said.
He explained that while most of the land has turned barren, some grass still grows on slightly higher ground near the area where the underground fire is burning and the path to the river also passes through it. “That is the only place where a bit of grass is left, so the cows go there,” he said. But the smoke and gases rise unpredictably, sometimes barely visible, sometimes overwhelming. “When the fumes suddenly increase, the cows and oxen run away or avoid the spot altogether,” Mahto said, adding that the heat and fumes cause breathing problems and eye irritation for both people and animals.
In addition to the heat and smoke, the fire’s reach is widening underground.
The Bhairavi River, which flows just below the burning zone, faces the risk of toxic contamination. The fire has opened up fissures and sinkholes in the land, and during the rains, runoff could carry heavy metals and chemical residues into the soil and water.
Sudhanshu Shekhar, Senior Scientist and Head of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ramgarh said that underground fires often pollute both surface and groundwater. Drawing a parallel with the Jharia coalfield, he explained that fumes from such fires get trapped in the soil and dissolve into aquifers and nearby water bodies. “The Bhairavi River is especially at risk,” he said. “Rainwater can seep through the cracks and carry toxic substances into the river, contaminating it with heavy metals.”
He added that, given the scale of the damage and potential impact on public health, the district administration must conduct a detailed study of soil and water quality in the region.
The toxic gases and smoke rising from the underground fire have left villagers deeply anxious about their health and that of their children. Doctors warn that prolonged exposure to the polluted air could lead to serious long-term illnesses.
Dr Satya Prakash, District Epidemiologist and Nodal Officer for the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health at Sadar Hospital, Ramgarh, said residents should stay as far away as possible from the affected areas. “The smoke contains fine particles that settle in the lungs, forming a layer that can cause diseases such as silicosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, skin disorders, eye irritation, and asthma,” he explained. “It also releases toxic substances like silica and benzene. Long-term exposure to these can damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer.”
He added that the short-term effects may not be immediately visible, but continued exposure will gradually harm the body, leading to chronic illnesses over time.
Dr Thakur Mrityunjay Kumar Singh, District Reproductive and Child Health Officer at Sadar Hospital said that the smoke and gases could have severe effects on children, hindering their physical growth and making them more vulnerable to allergic bronchitis and recurrent infections. “We have already seen such symptoms in many people, especially children, due to exposure to coal smoke,” he said.
Dr Singh also warned that gases such as carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide emitted from the burning coal are particularly dangerous for pregnant women. “During pregnancy, hormonal changes reduce immunity, making women more vulnerable. Inhaling these toxic vapors can harm both the mother’s health and the baby’s development in the womb,” he said.
Both doctors advised that anyone entering the fire-affected area should wear a mask, cover their body completely, and pass through the area with extreme caution.
Shekhar, senior agricultural scientist quoted earlier, warned that the underground coal fire is likely to spread further below the surface, destroying underground water reserves and reducing soil fertility. “The water pockets beneath the ground will start drying up…some may already have,” he said. “As that happens, trees and plants above will gradually die, and farming in those areas will no longer be possible. The fertile farmland near Bhuchungdih may also turn barren. Crops and fruit trees growing over the burning zones could absorb toxic elements, posing a hidden risk to human health through food consumption.”
He added that the effects may not appear immediately, but could emerge slowly as poisoning through the food chain.
Notably, in Bhuchungdih, many residents combine farm work with other occupations. They mainly grow vegetables, paddy, and maize. Barely 300 metres from the burning area lie paddy fields. Manoj Kumar (38), farmer, said, “The way the fire is spreading underground, it looks like it will reach our fields within a few months. We don’t even know if we’ll be able to plant paddy next year.”
Another villager Binod Mahto (44) recalled that before the fire started in April, the area was thick with sal, mahua, kusum, and jackfruit trees, and the soil was green and fertile. “After the coal beneath the ground caught fire, many trees dried up and several fell as the ground caved in,” he said.
Shekhar pointed out that Ramgarh is already heavily affected by coal mining, with Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) operating several sites nearby, including Rajrappa. “Coal is also widely used here for domestic and small industrial purposes, so air pollution levels are already high,” he said. “The underground fire in Bhuchungdih will make it worse. It is continuously releasing smoke and gases — carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and sulphur dioxide, creating a haze-like condition in the area. This fire is silently adding fuel to the climate crisis.”
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For seven months, villagers of Bhuchungdih have been living in fear. They say the fire, far from being controlled, is spreading across a larger area. “We fear Bhuchungdih might become another Jharia,” said Jagarnath Mahto (55), referring to the coalfield in Dhanbad where underground fires have burned for over a century, devastating entire settlements.
Attempts to extinguish the blaze have so far failed. In April and May, the district administration and CCL Rajrappa tried to douse the fire by pumping water and covering the burning pits with soil. On May 20, a pump operator, Ravinder Mahto from Gola block, died when the ground collapsed beneath him during the operation.
Since then, efforts have slowed, according to the Bhuchungdih village sarpanch and local residents, who said the administration has been hesitant to send workers back to the site after the accident and has not taken any major initiative to put out the fire.
Officials had hoped the monsoon rains would naturally extinguish the flames, but the fire continues to burn.
Deputy Commissioner Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz said a technical team from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad had inspected the site and would soon submit a report suggesting ways to control the fire. “A large amount of funding will be required for this,” he said, adding that the district administration has begun discussions with CCL Rajrappa, which operates mines nearby, to arrange for financial support.
Sunita Devi, the Sarpanch of Bhuchungdih Panchayat, said she has written multiple letters to the District Collector, Forest Officer, and CCL’s Darbhanga House in Ranchi, urging immediate action. “But the administrative response has been slow,” she said. “It feels like no one is really trying to put the fire out.”
This project is supported by the Internews Earth Journalism Network with funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
This article was originally published in 101 Reporters under Creative Common license. Read the original article.
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