A scientific assessment following Wednesday’s suspected toxic gas leak in Dhanbad’s Kenduadih locality in Jharkhand has revealed alarmingly high concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO), prompting an urgent evacuation of residents.
A joint team from IIT-ISM Dhanbad and the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), which surveyed Rajput Basti, Masjid Muhalla and the Putki–Balihari Area No. 5 on Friday, detected CO levels soaring up to 1,500 parts per million (ppm)—a concentration experts describe as life-threatening.
Carbon monoxide exposure becomes hazardous from 50 ppm, and symptoms such as headaches start at 200 ppm, while dizziness, vomiting and loss of consciousness may occur around 800 ppm.
The findings come after two women died and more than 20 residents reported nausea and headaches, believed to be caused by the toxic emissions from the Putki–Balihari Colliery zone of BCCL. Authorities have not yet officially confirmed the cause of the fatalities.
Dhanbad Deputy Commissioner Aditya Ranjan said the situation demanded urgent relocation. “Around 400 residents have already been moved to temporary camps, and we are working to shift the remaining families,” he said. Experts have stressed that staying in the affected neighbourhoods poses a grave risk to human health.
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Environmental experts said the current readings far exceed what is considered safe under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which mandate a permissible limit of 2 mg/m³ (eight-hour average) in residential areas. “A concentration of 1,500 ppm is extremely dangerous to human life,” the expert warned.
Many residents, however, expressed reluctance to leave, fearing livelihood disruptions in unfamiliar locations. The DC, who inspected the sites personally, acknowledged the long-standing nature of the problem. “The hazard isn’t new. Underground mine fires have existed here for decades, and efforts to relocate people earlier did not materialise due to various constraints,” he said.
Temporary shelters have been arranged at Belagadia and Karmatand, with officials assuring that accommodation will be provided until conditions stabilise in Kenduadih. Authorities continue to monitor gas levels as they work to prevent further health hazards in the region.
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