CASE STUDY

ON
SUSTAINABLE
MINING
IMPACTS OF MINING
THE MINING INDUSTRY HAS YET ALLOWED US TO
ACESS TO THE VALUABLE MINERAL DEPOSITS . THE
DIPOSITS IN AUGMENTED STATE CAN ALTER THE
ECENOMY OF ANY COUNTRY. BESIDE THIS THE
ENVIRONMENT FROM WHICH MINERALS GET
EXTRACTED IS POORLY AFFECTED. HENCE MINING
OPERATIONS NECESSARILY INVOLVE
DEFORESTATION, HABITAT DESTRUCTION,
BIODIVERSITY EROSION AND DESTRUCTION OF
GEOLOGICAL RECORDS.
STUDIES OF IMPACT:-

1. NOISE
2. DUST DISPERSION
3. VIBRATION
4. VEGETATION AND FAUNA
5. AMPHIBIANS AND MAMMALS
6. WILDLIFE
7. SOIL AND LANDSCAPE
8. WATER ACCESSIBILITY AND
QUALITY
9. WASTE GENERATION
10.HEALTH AND SAFETY
 SUSTAINABLE MINING
SUSTAINABLE MINING IS THE
MINIMIZATION OF NEGETIVE
ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL, AND
ECONOMIC IMPACTS ASSOCIATED
WITH MINING AND PROCESSING
ACTIVITIES. THIS METHOD OF
MINING CAN BE ANNOUNCED AS A
REVOLUTION IN THE FIELD OF
MINING. SCIENTIFIC MINING
OPERATIONS ACCOMPANIED BY
ECOLOGICAL RESTORAION AND
GENERATION OF MINED
WASTELANDS AND JUDICIOUS
USE OF ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES.
TO COUNTER THE EFFECTS OF SEVERAL MINING
HAZARDS. THE ILLUSTRATED HIGHLIGHTS CAN IMPROVE
THE DEALINGS OF MINE WORKING WITH ENVORNMENT
AND SUPPORT ITS SUSTAINABILITY.

I. OPENCAST WORKING
II. UNDERGROUND WORKING
 I. OPENCAST WORKING :-

FROM THE PAST DECADES OPENCAST WORKING HAS ALTERRED

THE PRODUCTIVITY. BUT SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF ITS WORKING IS
CREATING HUGE ECOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES.
  LAND RECLAMATION :-
LAND REQUIREMENT FOR BOTH QUARRY AND OB DUMPING AND
BUILDING ROADS, OFFICES ,HEALTH CARE CENTRES ETC.

 FOR SHALLOW DEPTH

BACKFILL CAN BE DONE.
 FOR DEEPER MINES, CAN BE
USED AS
WARETRBODIESAND FOR
GROWING FISH &WATER
SUPPLY.
 EXTERNAL DUMPS CAN BE
RECLAIMED AND TRESS
PLANTED.
 AFFORESTATION CAN BE
DONE BESIDE THE
PRECINCTS OF MINE .
 AIR POLLUTION CONTROL:-

Though the air quality in the mine and/or its vicinity

gets poor so major steps should be taken.

 SPRAYING WATER OF
ROADS
 MECHANISED
TRANSPORT SYSTEM
(CONVAYOR BELT
SYSTEM).
 DUST EXTRACTION
 GREEN BELT AROUND
THE MIN, INDUSTRIAL
AREA AND ALONG THE
ROADSIDE.
 NOISE CONTROL :-

Noise has equal weightage as compared to air

pollution and can be limitized by :-

 IMPROVED MAINTANCE OF PLANTS AND MACHINERY

 USE MACHINERY WITH SILENCERS
 USE OF HEMM WITH SOUND PROOF CABIN
 GREEN BELT AROUND NOISE GENERATING SOURCES
  WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
:-

FOR SURFACE RUN OFF WATER

FROM OLD OB DUMP, IT SLOULD
BE COLLECTED IN A DRAIN
(CATCH) AND LEAD IT TO
LAGOONS SO THAT PARTICLES
GET SEPARATED AND FRESH
WATER CAN BE UTILISED.
ARRENGEMENT SOULD BE
MADE TO ARREST SURFACE
RUN OFF WATER AROUND DUMP
SO THAT WATER CAN NOT
ERRODE THE DUMP.
 II. UNDERGROUND
WORKING :-
Like opencast mines underground mines also create socio-
economic problem, air pollution, vibration, subsidence etc.

Ground subsidence and fire if occurs in Shallow depth as

in in Jharia coalfield necessity special controls.
 Few measures can be taken to sustain the working :-

Reclamation of subsided ground :-

The subsided ground may be used for agriculture,

forestry, farming etc. However for making of ponds the
cracks should be filled thoroughly.

For building houses following measure should be taken:-

 There should be no subsidence at all.

 The cracks due to subsidence should be
effectively plugged.
 Safeguard have to be incorporated in
design of houses/building at the subsided
land.
 FIRE CONTROL :-

The fire in underground mines signals a major problem

during working and can process the mine to an
abandoned one. However few steps can be taken to
counter fire :-

 Surface sealing
 Trenching
 Injecting liquid Nitrogen or spraying
water to the fiery seam.
 Dealing with gas:-
Gases in underground mine working process discontinue in
production but few method can be introduced to counter it :-

 Storing gases (mainly

CH4) in tanks at surface
for other uses.
 A powerful exhaust fan
(& sometimes booster
fan ) can be deployed so
that a regular flow of
fresh air encounter the
gases.
 Water control :-
Water can also discontinued the working in underground mines
although it has some advantage for mine running. Some of the major
can be accepted to deal with water:-
 By using water walling curb during
shaft sinking to counter
percolation of water.
 Using high capacity heavy duty
electric centrifugal pump and
submersible pump to clear water.
 Treatment of water with water
cleaning chemical agents before
supplying to households.
 Can be supplied to washery or to
power plant.
 Can be supplied to agricultural
land to support greenery.