The threat of underground fire in Jharia leading to land cave-inhas already affected railways in the region. In March 2007, the 22-kmDhanbad-Jharia-Pathardih track was dismantled while the railway stationcomplex of Jharia is “abandoned” since 2005.

In 1996, the Union government formed a committee to probe the underground fire. On finding that the fire could not be doused, it recommended shifting the entire Jharia town and 23 surrounding villages to two resettlement colonies.