Curse of Barapukuria Coal Mine

The Barapukuria Coal Mine has now become a curse for the people of at least four adjacent villages, where underground explosions caused by coal extraction have left over 300 houses damaged, and the scarcity of pure drinking water has become a daily struggle.

For these villagers, life has become a perilous dance with danger as frequent shockwaves from the mine's blasts rattle their homes and disrupt their daily routines.

To make matters worse, the underground mining has also deprived them of access to clean, safe drinking water, a fundamental necessity for survival.

The affected villagers have reached out to the Barapukuria Coal Mine authorities twice, in May and July, sharing their untold sufferings and seeking resolution. They also joined hands in a human chain  at Panchgharia village on July 22 demanding a better life. However, despite their pleas, the Barapukuria Coal Mine Company Limited (BCMCL) has remained conspicuously silent, leaving the residents in a state of despair.

"Our houses are being damaged by the heavy jolts for coal production. We are also facing a drinking water crisis due to the depletion of underground water surrounding the mining area," said Mozahar Ali of Panchgharia village.

Ali, a previously displaced victim of the country's lone coal mine that started its operation in 2005, said that cracks at houses in four villages started developing a couple of years ago.

"Even, the road connectivity also got damaged in the area for the mining," he said.

Visiting two affected villages -- Panchgharia and Patigram -- in Parbatipur on July 22, this correspondent discovered many homes with cracks, and some of them weren't in a safe enough condition to live in.

For instance, Mahbur Rahman Mondal's single-floor semi-concrete house in Panchgharia village has developed multiple cracks.

"The walls, stairs and floor, everything has been damaged due to the shockwaves from the coal mine. I'm living in the house with my family in constant fear," said Mondol, adding that he feels the jolts day and night.

The affected people under the banner of Bhumi and Basatbari Rakkha Committee have been urging the coalmine authorities to find a solution to their problems.

Forhad Ali Mondal, member secretary of the committee, told the newspaper that at least 300 families of two villages were affected as their houses were cracked badly.

"Many tube wells in the area have been dried up for depleting water level. Situation usually worsens during the dry season every year," Mondol said.

"This area has become inhabitable," he added.

According to Abu Taher Nur-Uz Zaman Chowdhury, BCMCL's General Manager of Planning and Exploration and Surface Operation, after receiving the villagers' complaint, the mining authorities notified the Chinese contractor CMC, which is extracting coal from the mine.

The GM said that CMC is preparing a report in consultation with their experts.

A month back, the BCMCL has also formed a six-member body led by Md Zahangir Alam, Deputy General Manager of the Project Planning and Monitoring Department, in this regard. The committee is still working on the issue, he said.

However, such incidents are not new in the area. So far, around 1500 families have been displaced around the coal mine area since 2006.

Md Motiar Rahman, president of Bhumi and Basatbari Rakkha Committee told The Daily Star on Wedensday that officials of Parbatipur upazila administartion and BCMCL  visited the affected villages in different times after July 25.

But, the villagers are still not seeing any effective measures taken to solve their issues.

"BCMCL and Petrobangla will be liable if any serious accidents," he said.