Ranchi: Jharkhand will be the worst affected in the transition trip from coal-based economies to renewable energy sources, according to a report on how switches can affect the livelihood of the community.
When India promised to achieve net carbon zero emissions in 2070 at the UK2021 UN Climate Change Conference, the gradual removal of coal was close.
However, this removal process, aims to achieve a cleaner environment, can come with the cost of the livelihood of millions of people depending on coal.
On Monday, Batubara Secretary of Union Dr.
Anil Jain released a report in New Delhi based on the study of possible impacts on regencies containing coal so far.
Reports prepared by the National Foundation for India (NFI) painted a gloomy future of Jharkhand where 15 of the 24 districts will be affected, with four – Ranchi, coderma, nails and palamu – identified very vulnerable.
This study is titled – The Impact of the Social Economy of Coal Transition in India – Bottom-up Job Analysis in the industry consuming coal and coal focuses on around 266 regencies containing coal in nine countries – Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and part of the top.
The analysis conducted on the basis of the dependence on coal revealed that 135 of 266 of these districts would have a severe impact because of the dependence on coal.
“Coal transitions in India tend to be messy and complicated.
In conservative estimates, more than 13 million people are employed in coal mining, transportation, power, iron sponge, steel, and brick sectors,” report the report.
In the case of Jharkhand, four districts in very vulnerable categories – Ranchi, Palamu, Koderma and Pakur – have a large chuck of workforce that depend on coal mines and more than one coal-based industry while in three districts – Deoghar, Serioyla and Lahtar – Labor depends on coal mines and at least one coal-based industry makes it quite vulnerable.
Seven more districts – GirliDih, Hazaribag, Ramgarh, Singhbhum, Godda, Dhanbad, Chatra and Bokaro have been placed in the most vulnerable district categories, even though the transition will be a challenge there too.
However, activists of the Rights of the Nrega Watch Rights and State Organizers, James Heren, believe that when the use of coal is removed, alternative energy resources will replace it and the new sector will have the same potential to hire people.
“We have protested the opening of a new mine because it causes displacement.
Our people have paid a very high price for this mine.
They cannot get a lot of workers in this mine, so the exit phase will be positive for them,” he said.