Dhanbad: A dumpyard located near the Akashkinari football ground at Chhatabad Bhandaridih under BCCL Area-III in Katras caved in on Wednesday, leading to cracks in several houses and forcing families to rush outdoors. No casualties were reported, sources said.The ground suddenly caved in with a loud rumbling sound. Water from the Akashkinari pond located near the football ground was swallowed into the earth following the subsidence, eyewitnesses said.“We left our belongings and gathered in the open, fearing further collapse,“ Nazma Khatoon, a resident, said.Villagers blocked the Katras Main Road, demanding immediate relocation of all affected families to safer locations and called for restrictions on coal mining in highly vulnerable areas.Chhatabad faces an existential threat. The area could witness disasters similar to those reported in Sonardih and Kenduadih unless urgent action is taken, they warned.Deputy commissioner Aditya Ranjan said, “Rehabilitation is being carried out under the revised Jharia Rehabilitation Plan. Shortcomings in the earlier plan have been addressed. The administration is focusing on accelerating the rehabilitation process so that residents can be shifted to safer locations at the earliest.“He, however, noted that many families remain reluctant to leave despite living in fire and subsidence-prone areas. “The district administration is implementing several initiatives to encourage residents to relocate voluntarily for better lives,“ he stressed.
