Jharia, also spelled Jherria,  town and coalfield in northern
Jharkhand state, eastern India. The coalfield lies in the
Damodar River valley and covers about 110 square miles (280
square km). The bituminous coal produced there is suitable for
coke (most of India’s coal comes from the Jharia and Raniganj
fields in the valley).  Coal mining began in Jharia in 1894, and
there are now more than 20 underground mines and several large
open-cast coal mines there. The coal is worked from open pits,
but wages and safety conditions are poor. Underground fires were
first noted in Jharia in 1916, and they have continued to
spread, destroying properties and killing miners. The miners are
usually from local unions and depend on Jharia’s coal-mining
economy for their livelihoods; many also work crops at
harvesttime. Pop. (2001) 81,983.