For almost a century, Jharia coal fields have been on fire in the Indian state of Jharkhand because of poor mining techniques. Many of the people who live on the burning fields survive by collecting coal illegally. The coal is burned and then transported to nearby markets for very little money. A resettlement plan has been put in place, but the area’s residents are reluctant to move to safer grounds because the coal earns them their livelihood. 

Photographed for The Globe and Mail