The Damodar Valley, once hailed as the “Ruhr of India” and the backbone of India’s industrial rise, is today staring at a deep crisis. Almost half of the coal mines in Dhanbad are shut or inactive, and projections suggest that by 2030 nearly 80 per cent of the mines will either be exhausted or commercially unviable. The collapse of the coal economy has raised urgent questions about the future of millions dependent on the industry.
From Coal Capital to Crisis Zone
Jharkhand and West Bengal’s Damodar Valley, which fuelled the nation’s steel plants in Durgapur and Bokaro and fertiliser factories in Sindri, has lost its primacy. Odisha and Chhattisgarh have overtaken it in coal production, while old thermal plants in Patratu, Bokaro, Bandel and Kolaghat have shut down. Even the multi-purpose dams of the Damodar Valley Corporation, once central to flood control and hydropower, are now silted and weak, reducing their role in energy generation.
Social and Economic Fallout
The closure of mines is not just an economic setback but also a humanitarian crisis. More than two lakh workers, once employed in collieries and plants, face an uncertain future. With the region’s workforce participation already as low as 30 per cent, unemployment risks are mounting. Experts warn that unless alternate models of growth are introduced swiftly, a large socio-economic vacuum may emerge.
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A Green Corridor Vision
Amid the decline, experts including the Chandra Bhushan, CEO of iForest, says Dhanbad, Bokaro and Ramgarh have the potential to emerge as a Green Industrial Corridor. At a recent iForest event organised in Ranchi, a report was released which pointed out that Dhanbad, Bokaro and Ramgarh have the potential to be developed as a Green Industrial Corridor. Experts at the programme discussed in detail how these districts, once dependent on coal, could be transformed into hubs for solar power, green hydrogen, and other clean industries.
Over one lakh hectares of degraded land, abundant sunshine, and existing industrial infrastructure offer potential for 10 GW of solar energy and large-scale green hydrogen production. This could power green steel and fertiliser industries while converting abandoned mines into solar farms, industrial parks and even tourism hubs. Drawing parallels with Germany’s Ruhr Valley, which reinvented itself after coal’s decline, experts believe that Damodar Valley too needs a planned “just transition” policy, ensuring workers and communities are not left behind.
Also Read: Coal India Focused on Green Jobs, Reclaimed 38,000 Hectares of Mined Land
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