The persistent and deadly issue of toxic gas leaks in Dhanbad's Kenduadih area has escalated further with the death of a third resident, sending waves of panic and anger through the local community. The latest fatality has intensified accusations of systemic failure and negligence against the public sector coal giant, Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL).
Another Life Lost in the Dead of Night
The victim has been identified as 40-year-old Surendra Singh, a resident of New Dhauda and a member of the Janta Mazdoor Sangh. According to distressed villagers, Singh went to sleep as usual on Monday night but was found unconscious in his room on Tuesday morning. Family members, unable to wake him, rushed him to the Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College and Hospital (SNMMCH), where doctors declared him dead.
While the precise cause of death is pending the post-mortem report, the community directly links this tragedy to the long-standing problem of poisonous gas seepage in the area. The sudden demise of Surendra Singh has created an atmosphere of profound fear and unrest among residents who feel they are living under a constant threat.
Political Outcry and Allegations of Tokenism
The incident prompted former Jharia MLA, Sanjeev Singh, to visit the hospital and meet the grieving family. He did not mince words in condemning the BCCL management, alleging gross negligence and a complete failure to control the hazardous gas leaks in Kenduadih. "Despite repeated incidents, the steps taken by the management have remained largely on paper with no effective results on the ground," he asserted.
Local residents echoed these sentiments, accusing the authorities of implementing only superficial measures. They revealed that while six boreholes have been drilled to plug the leaks, nitrogen filling—a critical process to neutralize toxic gases like carbon monoxide and methane—has been completed in only two. Villagers claim these half-hearted efforts have provided no real relief, leaving them to endure a perpetual state of anxiety.
A Grim History of Neglect and Tragedy
This is not an isolated incident. The gas leak problem in this region has a deadly precedent. On December 4, two women, Lalita Devi and Priyanka Devi from Rajput Basti in Kenduadih, lost their lives under similar suspicious circumstances linked to the gas leak.
That earlier double tragedy had triggered a flurry of activity. Senior officials from BCCL, the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), and even the Chairman of Coal India, along with top central and state government representatives, visited the site. Technical experts recommended drilling boreholes and injecting nitrogen as a countermeasure. However, the recent death suggests these interventions have been insufficient or poorly executed.
The death toll now standing at three has raised severe and urgent questions about industrial safety, disaster management protocols, and corporate accountability in one of India's most crucial mining regions. The community awaits concrete action, demanding their right to live without fear.
