Land Degradation due to Mining in India and its Mitigation Measures

Abstract

The impact of mining activities on pollution of air, water, land, soil quality, vegetation including forest ecosystems, and on human health and habitation has become a matter of serious concern. Any deterioration in the physical, chemical, and biological quality of the environment affects human health and flora and fauna. The health problem of miners arising out of on-site pollution due to dust, gases, noise, polluted water, etc. is receiving increasing attention. Some of the negative impacts on the landscape and the human environment can effectively be permanent. While some segments of the minerals industries, governments and others are much more conscious of these issues, effective sector-wide management of these problems is neither universal nor adequate. The present paper discusses various practices that can be adopted to control the adverse effect of mining on land in India.