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Jharia Coal field (JCF) in Jharkhand is the richest coal bearing area in India, which contains large quantities of high grade coking coal. The conventional coal fuel cycle is among the most destructive activities on the earth, threatening the health, polluting the air and water, harming the land, and contributing to global warming. The variations in air quality in terms of sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and particulate matter around JCF were evaluated over the period of 2010 and 2011 at five sites during different seasons. Air pollution index (API), calculated on the basis of suspended particulate matter (SPM), SO₂ and NO₂ concentrations was highest near the coal mining area. The ambient concentrations of heavy metals (in PM₁₀) also showed significant temporal and spatial variations at different sites around coal mining areas. Pollutants dispersion and spatial variations were explained by the use of cluster …