67 fires raging in Jharia coalfields
The government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that as many as 67 underground fires have been raging in the Jharia coalfields in Jharkhand for several decades, affecting 98,000 families. At the time of nationalisation of coal mines in the 1970s, 70 fires were raging in the area that came under Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL). Of these, 10 were put out but seven new fires started, minister of state for coal Santosh Bagrodia said while replying to supplementaries during question Hour.