Dhanbad Residents Take to the Streets to Raise Awareness About Air Pollution

To raise awareness about air pollution in Jharkhand's Dhanbad and Jharia belts and its detrimental effects on the locals, almost 100 citizens of the Dhanbad district embarked on a padayatra while enduring the rain and traveling more than 24km over the course of two days.

The padayatra started on Friday morning at Putki block, traveled through the coal centers of Dhanbad and Jharia, and finished on Saturday night in Jorapokhar.

Jharkhand ranks as the seventh most polluted state in India, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) annual report, which was published in June 2022.

According to a 2019 Greenpeace India (Airpocalypse-IV) report, out of the 313 towns surveyed, Jharia had the worst air quality, with Dhanbad coming in second. According to the study, Jharia's 2017 PM (particulate matter) 10 level was 295 g/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter). Greenpeace predicted that even if air pollution levels were reduced by 30% by 2024, Jharia's air will still contain 207 g/m3 of PM 10.

With a PM-10 level of 264 g/m3, Dhanbad was listed as the second most polluted city in the same report after Jharia.

"I've previously filed a PIL with the Jharkhand High Court to protest the widespread tree-cutting and air pollution in Dhanbad and Jharia, two of the nation's most polluted cities. The hearing is scheduled for October 9. Additionally, earlier this year, I planted 500 trees on the grounds of schools and temples and paid for their upkeep out of my own pocket. Ranjit Singh, president of Gramin Ekta Manch, said, "But I realized that a single man's work would not produce much, so I decided to include more through such an awareness campaign.

Singh, a contractor by trade, participated in the padayatra under the Manch's auspices.

"The Gramin Ekta Manch moniker reflects the fact that the padayatra included local village residents. On Friday, we set off from Putki Block and arrived in Dhanbad City late at night. We stopped there for the night, and during that time, businesspeople, medical professionals, and academics came to show their support for our cause. Our morale was raised when doctors explained how the effects of air pollution affect both toddlers and adults, admitted Singh.

Due to the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, Singh and more than 100 members of the Manch began their padayatra from Dhanbad to Jorapokhar in Jharia while enduring rainstorms.

Despite the rain, we encountered people who we spoke with about the negative effects of air pollution, the necessity of planting trees, and the environmental rules that coal PSUs, particularly Bharat Coking Coal Limited in Dhanbad and Jharia, are violating. Bharat Coking Coal Limited is responsible for felling trees in order to operate its coal mines.