Dhanbad mine gas leak: Experts visit affected area, find CO level “dangerously high”

Dhanbad, Dec 6 (PTI) A team of experts has visited the area in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad district, where “poisonous gas leak” from underground mines created panic earlier this week, and recorded carbon monoxide (CO) level in the air there “dangerously high”, at up to 1,500 parts per million (PPM), an official said on Saturday.

This figure is around 30 times higher than the permissible limit, as the dangerous level of carbon monoxide concentration starts with 50 PPM, according to an expert.

The emission of gas has been reported on Wednesday from three localities – Rajput Basti, Masjid Muhalla and Area No. 5 – which fall under Putki-Balihari colliery area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited, and the BCCL authorities had decided to shift around 1,000 locals.

Till Saturday, 400 of them have been shifted, Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan said.

Ranjan said a joint experts’ team of Dhanbad IIT-ISM and Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) assessed the carbon monoxide level in those three areas on Friday.

The experts recorded the level of carbon monoxide at up to 1,500 PPM, which poses a serious threat to human health, and recommended immediate shifting of residents from Rajput Basti.

Headache appears when the level reaches 200 PPM, and symptoms like dizziness, nausea and unconsciousness begin at 800 PPM, the expert said.

According to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), the permissible limit for CO is 2 mg/m3 (milligram per cubic meter) for an eight-hour average in residential areas, and 4 mg/m3 for a one-hour average, a Ranchi-based environmentalist said.

“The 1,500 ppm CO concentration is dangerously high for human survival, said the environmentalist who refused to be quoted.

Following the emission of ‘poisonous gas’ on Wednesday, two women allegedly died, while 20 others fell sick in different locations of the three areas.

The exact cause of the women's death, however, is yet to be ascertained, and it could only be confirmed after receiving the postmortem report, the officials said.

Ranjan said, “People from the affected areas are being shifted to temporary camps. So far, around 400 people have been shifted. The process is on to shift the rest of the residents from the area.” A section of the locals said they are worried about their livelihood in new areas and are not in favour of shifting.

The DC himself visited the affected sites on Friday and assessed the condition of the people living in the area.

“The problem did not arise now; it has existed for decades. Due to different reasons, the residents could not be shifted to a safe place,” Ranjan said.

The area has long been declared a ‘danger zone’ due to underground mine fires.

The DC said he urged the residents to shift to a safe place as soon as possible.

“An arrangement has been made at Belagadia and Karmatand. For the time being, temporary accommodation has been provided till the situation becomes normal in the area,” Ranjan said. PTI CORR SAN NN