Around 2,500 residents of Bansra and Sishubagan, on the outskirts of Raniganj town in West Burdwan, have accused coal smugglers of carrying out blasts that have led to cracks in their homes and on their farms.

The residents, who include lawyers, schoolteachers, traders and farm hands, also said the sudden spurt in blasts to mine coal illegally barely 200 metres from their homes had endangered their lives.

“Frequent explosions trigger subsidence. Minus police action, smugglers are so desperate that they carry out blasts even during the day,” said Sumanta Chatterjee, a trader who lives in Sishubagan.

Cracks have developed on the floors at Chatterjee’s home and he fears bigger damage.

Chatterjee said they had lodged many complaints with Raniganj police, the BDO and the management of Eastern Coalfields Limited over the last year but in vain.

Residents on Thursday demonstrated at the site of an illegal coal pit and dismantled the makeshift structures allegedly set up by coal smugglers.

A lawyer from Sishubagan ward 36 of Asansol Municipal Corporation, Subhadip Banerjee, alleged: “No policeman arrived during our agitation but goons threatened us.”

On Friday, residents decided to submit another deputation to the local police station. “If they do not act, we will move court demanding our safety,” said Banerjee, whose home has also developed cracks.

A police officer said that on learning about the illegal mining, cops visited the site on Thursday night. “We will fill up (illegal) pits soon,” he said, but denied charges of police inaction against the coal mafia.

An ECL official in Raniganj said the area where illegal mines came up in Bansra and Sishubagan fell under their leasehold area. “We got complaints from people earlier and urged the police to stop the menace. We will give technical aid to fill up the pits,” he said.