Revealed: 6 Terrifying Places Not to Visit in India

Jharia: Located in Jharkhand and the backbone of India's power generation, Jharia is rich in coal and much of the mining in the area is done by opencast method. So, this method literally up in flames as it involves excavations from the surface. In this place, coal is mined everywhere—in the villages and even next to dwellings. Even streets and railway tracks are not spared. Miners armed with shovels dig open pits and extract coal, before moving away.

The residual coal left behind often catches fire, sometimes because of lightening or a carelessly thrown cigarette butt. As of 2007, more than 400,000 people who reside in Jharia are living on land in danger of subsidence due to the fires, and according to Satya Pratap Singh, one of the resident "Jharia Township is on the brink of an ecological and human disaster." The government has been criticized for a perceived apathetic attitude towards the safety of the people of Jharia. Heavy fumes emitted by the fires lead to severe health problems such as breathing disorders and skin diseases among the local population.

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