26/10/2024
The mines of Jharia, with their almost permanent underground coal fires, emit a dense, persistent smoke that permeates the air throughout the region. This smoke, visible from afar, has a complex composition, primarily due to the partial combustion of coal and other minerals in the soil. It contains a high concentration of toxic gases: carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The combination of these elements produces a sharp odor, mixed with a peculiar sweetness, almost enticing, like a mineral v***r with a slight bitterness.
The smell of this smoke is paradoxical: one can detect a certain sweetness reminiscent of damp earth and burning wood, but it is immediately followed by a metallic and acidic aftertaste that leaves an irritating sensation at the back of the throat. The effect is captivating for some, due to the strange warmth of the underground coal fires, but it conceals the real toxicity of these emissions.
Visually, the smoke from the Jharia mines is heavy and grayish, sometimes tinged with blue or yellow hues depending on the particles in suspension. It gives the landscape a misty quality and a ghostly aspect in photos, especially at dawn or in the early morning hours, when the daylight has not yet pierced the thickness of this pollution.
