New Delhi: “Can you have a just transition in an unjust society like ours?” This question by Biraj Patnaik, executive director of the non-profit National Foundation for India (NFI), underscores a new report that has found marginalised communities facing the steepest barriers in the transition away from coal.
An NFI study into 1,207 households spread across two coal-dependent districts each from the country’s three top coal-producing states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha has revealed that 41.5 percent of these households belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), 23 percent to Scheduled Tribes (ST), 17 percent to Scheduled Castes (SC), and 15.5 percent to the General category.
The report — ‘At the crossroads: Marginalised communities and the just transition dilemma’ — is a follow-up to an earlier NFI study from 2021.
“The findings highlight the stark caste-based inequalities in access to education and livelihood opportunities in coal-dependent regions,” Patnaik said at the report release at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi Wednesday.
The study involved 20 focused group discussions with community representatives, with at least 75 percent bringing up concerns about the prevalence of lung and skin diseases, women’s safety, and limited access to healthcare and education.
The study also found that a substantial portion of the surveyed population, particularly those from the SC, ST, and OBC communities, had either completed primary education or were illiterate.
Caste-based inequalities
According to the report, caste-based inequalities in access to resources and opportunities are key to slowing the transition to clean energy. In coal-dependent areas, marginalised communities, who have few education and livelihood opportunities, dominate the workforce.
The report suggested a connection between the tendency and necessity to take up informal or coal sector jobs and lower levels of education. In the districts of Ramgarh and Dhanbad (both in Jharkhand) and Koriya (Chhattisgarh), 77 percent, 57 percent and 47 percent of the surveyed population, respectively, had no formal education or had completed only primary education.
Jobs in these areas are low-income and often come without any formal contracts. In Ramgarh, 92 percent of the surveyed population reported having no formal work contracts. This percentage was 88 percent in Dhanbad, 85% in Odisha’s Jajpur, 73% in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh, and 35% in Odisha’s Angul.
“Social and economic disparities were evident across districts, with varying income levels and irregular wage receipt patterns,” said Pooja Gupta, co-author of the study and a research associate at NFI.
“Dhanbad and Koriya are solely reliant on coal production and reported lower incomes compared to more diversified industrial districts like Angul,” added Gupta.
Gupta also said that during the survey and field visits, the researchers found access to basic welfare schemes notably lacking, exacerbating the vulnerability of the communities in these areas.
According to the report, most households lacked access to basic welfare and economic programmes. For instance, in Koriya, while over 92 percent of the households were aware of government schemes, 95 percent did not participate in any initiatives, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA), skill training, or pension schemes.
This pattern of high awareness but low participation was also seen in the other areas. In Dhanbad, for instance, 95 percent of the respondents knew about the PM Awas Yojana, an affordable housing scheme, yet 89 percent had so far not availed themselves of it.
Moreover, on average, the households surveyed across various districts reported inconsistent wage payments. For instance, only 21 percent of respondents in Raigarh said they received wages regularly. In Koriya, not a single respondent reported regular wage payments. Conversely, in Angul, 59 percent of respondents typically received their wages regularly.
As highlighted in the report, the livelihood ecosystem in districts solely focused on coal production, such as Dhanbad, is weak due to the mining-driven ecology, lack of training, and inadequate availability of agricultural land.
Additionally, most members of marginalised communities in affected areas possess either no land or small land holdings.
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Policies and institutions
The report pointed to significant policy and institutional challenges, marked by administrative negligence, poor service delivery, and fragmented governance structures.
“Without a clear plan in place, workers in declining industries may face sudden job losses without adequate support or alternative employment opportunities, exacerbating tensions within the affected communities,” Gupta said.
The report said that a top-down approach to environment and climate change management, with the involvement of multiple institutions, powers, and planning, can pave the way for a just transition.
This collaboration is seen during the implementation of the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) policies in the coal mining sector — the mining companies handle the implementation of policies, and the district collector oversees and monitors them.
The report also suggested enhancing infrastructure and connectivity in coal-dependent areas and developing alternative livelihoods and job opportunities for the communities living in these areas.
While appreciating the government for taking measures towards sustainable development, Kandasamy Krishnan, executive director of the Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) and convener of the National Adivasi Solidarity Council, told ThePrint that such measures push marginalised communities into poverty as they don’t have an alternative source of livelihood.
“As highlighted by the National Foundation, the number of people working at these coal mines are largely OBCs, STs, and SCs. Then why is there no policy at the state and central levels as an alternative solution for livelihood security? There is no alternative solution,” said Krishnan.
“India does have numerous social protection and welfare policies at both the state and central levels, including community development programmes, tribal sub-plans, self-care plans, and the Integrated Rural Development Programme. Despite these schemes — considering they are implemented properly in rural areas — why are people still being displaced and forced to migrate?” he added.
During COP26 in November 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged that by 2030, half of India’s energy would come from renewable sources, and the country would achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
A year later, Jharkhand, the largest coal producer in India, with a total reserve of approximately 86.66 billion tonnes, established the country’s first “just transition” task force.
However, in the 16 months since the task force’s establishment, there has been little to no progress in reducing coal dependence in the state, said Gulab Chand, a community leader in Jharkhand.
Patnaik said, “There is an urgent need for community-specific policies and robust institutional mechanisms to address the socio-economic impacts of coal transition on marginalised communities.”
He further said that he hopes the report will catalyse meaningful discussions and actions towards a just transition, ensuring that vulnerable populations aren’t left out of a cleaner, sustainable future.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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