Dhanbad: The civic body here has asked Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR) to help it prepare a report on land, air and water degradation to form the basis of a sustainable waste management plan for the coal town to be prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

JICA is a government agency of Japan that provides support for economic and social development.

Dhanbad is plagued by land, air and water pollution due to mining and related activities.

The report, which will mainly focus on air pollution, is being prepared as an outcome of the recent talks between DMC authorities and JICA representatives during a global meet of urban local bodies held in Indore from April 9 to 12.

Speaking to this correspondent on Thursday, Dhanbad mayor Chandra Shekhar Agarwal said, "JICA representatives took interest in the issues of land, air and water degradation due to mining and allied activities raised by me at the mayoral session of the Indore meet and offered their assistance," said Agarwal.

"We spoke to a panel of CIMFR scientists, which included V.K. Singh (business development and industrial liaison department) and Abhay Singh, Rajshekhar Singh, D.P. Singh, Shailendra Singh and Shantanu Bhattacharya (all from CIMFR's natural resources and environmental division) on Wednesday and told them about the requirement of the report. They agreed to prepare it as soon as possible. If everything goes right we will forward the report to JICA by next week. It will help JICA prepare a sustainable waste solution for Dhanbad," said Agarwal.

Sources in CIMFR said the DMC also sought its suggestions on the detailed project report for the upcoming mine pit water supply project jointly prepared by the civic body and utilities major Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (JUSCO). The report has already been approved by DMC and forwarded to the government for cabinet approval.

"The mine pit water supply project was widely appreciated by over 700 representatives of more than 106 local bodies from 41 countries who took part in the Indore meeting. Many of them also expressed their desire to implement the same in their respective areas," said Agarwal.