NHRC Issued Notice to DC Hazaribagh and NTPC Over Birhor Deaths

Key Highlights

• NHRC has issued notices to the Hazaribagh DC and NTPC over the situation of the Birhor community in Keredari.
• The commission has sought a report by 1st November 2026 on rehabilitation, safety and steps taken to address the issue.
• A joint inquiry has recorded eight deaths from the Birhor Tribal Community of Pagar village.
• The inquiry found severe damage to houses from blasting and serious dust related health concerns.
• NHRC had earlier directed that mining should stop until affected families were safely rehabilitated.
• The inquiry noted that the causes of death could not be conclusively established as postmortems were not conducted.

Hazaribagh: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner and NTPC over the alleged impact of coal mining and blasting on the Birhor tribal community in Keredari. The commission has sought details of measures taken for the community’s safety and rehabilitation and directed the authorities to submit their reports by 1st November 2026.

Earlier Notice Raised Questions Over Mining Activity

The NHRC had issued a notice on 11th March 2025, after a complaint alleged that uncontrolled mining and pollution were threatening the survival of the Birhor community. It had asked authorities to ensure rehabilitation of affected families and stop mining until a solution was found. Nearly 18 months later, the commission has raised concern that mining continues while the rehabilitation issue remains unresolved.

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Inquiry Finds Damage From Blasting and Dust

A joint committee formed on the NHRC’s direction and led by the Hazaribagh Sadar SDM found serious damage in the Birhor Tribal Community of Pagar village in Hazaribagh, where 33 houses are located. Four houses close to the mine were reported to have become severely damaged due to blasting. The inquiry also recorded complaints of fever, cough and respiratory infections linked to heavy dust from mining operations.

Eight Deaths Recorded, But Cause Not Established

The number of reported deaths has since risen from two to eight. The accompanying records show the deceased were residents of Pagar village. However, the inquiry report noted that postmortems were not conducted, so the exact causes of death could not be established.

Death Chart : Birhor Community, Pagar Village, Keredari
No.	Name	Age	Date of Death
1	Biraj Birhor	70 years	13-Mar-24
2	Kirni Kumari	12 years	28-Feb-24
3	Aakesh Birhor	10 years	11-Jul-24
4	Durga Birhor	46 years	10-Apr-24
5	Geeta Devi	39 years	19-Apr-25
6	Nanki Devi	47 years	25-Oct-25
7	Roop Kumari	14 years	23-Apr-25
8	Infant	2 months	13-Nov-25

All eight deceased were residents of Birhor Tola in Pagar village, Chatti Bariyatu Panchayat, Keredari block, Hazaribagh. The inquiry report noted that postmortems were not conducted, so the exact causes of death could not be established.

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