Though aware of underground fire in Jharia coal mines in East India through news reports and articles one had never seen it first hand. Viewing “Underground Inferno” directed by Sanjeev Sivan and Umesh Aggarwal at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, made one realise the gravity of this calamity and its disastrous regional and global effect.
Made in 2009, the 47 minute film originally produced for National Geographic Channel (NGC) focuses on the continuing underground coal mine fires in Jharia, Jharkhand and Centralia in Pennsylvania, US. Shown in 125 countries in more than 20 languages the film which won the “Vasudha Award” at the 40th International Film Festival of India 2009, has not lost its relevance or validity because at its core is human interest story striking an instant chord with the audience.
Narrating the brilliant human story of people in both places, it highlights the plight of the half a million denizens of Jharia who inhale the toxic fumes, poisonous gases daily and face the unpredictable danger of their houses, roads, other structures caving in anytime. The suffering is for the sake of livelihood, lack of alternatives due to poverty and having strong emotional attachment to their place of their forefathers. Accepting her fate Asha Devi, mother of four residing in a half collapsed house comments: “Is there any point in getting scared? God has wished us to live and die in this hell.” A young man laments that he has nowhere to go. Moreover, how will he fend for self and family in case he relocates. Jharia coal fields have been mined for over 100 years with three fourths of its reserves still intact providing employment to thousands and their families. The first case of fire reported in 1916 is still raging. The temperature recordings in affected area in Jharia shows 60 degrees Celsius while below the surface it is 700 degrees Celsius.
The documentary starts with the celebration of a child in a Jharia village, depicting the resilience, optimism and courage of the suffering who continue their daily life unmindful of the dangers. It then cuts to John Lokitis, a fourth generation resident of Centralia who is among the last 11 left there, explaining his attachment to this once a booming mining town. “Coal is in my blood,” he says. Pointing a coal stove of 1940s he adds: “This is how I hearth the house.” Its residents were relocated after Government tookeover as the fire which started in 1962 in the mine could not be controlled despite 11 efforts on the part of fire-fighters.
Explaining how the fires come into being – human reasons and spontaneous combustion – the documentary zeroes on the loss vast reserves of non-renewable energy and more importantly endangerment of human and animal life. It is also cited as one of the cause for global warming as the fires are prevalent in South Africa, Russia, US, Australia, China and India among other countries. US boasting of world’s largest coal reserves, has 100s of fires with worst effect Pennsylvania accounting for 38.
Umesh refers to the film as a “longstanding dream coming true” as having visited Jharia in 1986 he saw smoke and fire coming out of earth and dreamt of making a film on it. It was fulfilled when NGC accepted his proposal among the many received by them. What triggered the wish? “Staying in a multi-storeyed building while viewing the pitch dark surroundings at night I saw flames emanating from the ground. It was scary and I could not fathom how this huge population was living there. Later, I observed the vast media coverage of the fires was inaccurate while sensationalizing it. In fact they ignored that the indigenous Indian methods to control and check these fires.”
