Mining and Environmental Degradation: A Case Study of Kund Slate Mining Activity, Rewari, Haryana

INTRODUCTION

The southern part of Haryana i. e. Rewari district is bestowed with abundant deposits of high quality slate stone. The hill range having slate stone extends NE to SW toward Behali Bas area and further passes into Rajasthan. School Slate and multicolour slate tiles are the chief products of this mining area, that are used for roofing, flooring, paneling tables as decoration wall tile etc. These mined material after cutting and polishing is exported to the countries like Australia, Newzeland, Belgium, Japan, west Germany etc.The mining area is surrounded by densely populated settlements Bhalki-Majra, Kund, Manethi, Palra, Basduda, Kathuwas, Mahetawas, Cheeta Dungra, Mandhan and Nangwas.

Kund Slate mining site is located at the distance of 25km. from Rewari in the west of Rewari at Rewari-Narnaul state highway. It lies between 280 7I30II to 280 12I 30II N latitudes and 76020I to 76026I E longitudes in the survey of India toposheet No. 53D/8 with scale of 1:50000(2cm=1km) The mining area spreads NE to SW in a narrow strip. The length of the mining area is about 2km, breadth is 300m with an average depth of 50m. There are more than 300 active mines and about 80 abundant mining pits. A broad gauge railway line connects the mining area to Delhi, Jaipur and Bombay.

different type of formation belonging to Delhi Super Group. Stratigraphically the rocks formation of Delhi Super Group composed of arenaceous, argillaceous and calcareous sediments. General trend of the beds in the area is N-S to NNE-SSW with high dips varying from 500 to 800 towards west. The rocks are highly folded with the major fold axis striking N-S to NNE-SSW and plunging 500 to 700 toward south.

The slate mineral of the area as exposed in the form of hillocks show a general strike trend of N100E to N200 E with moderate to steep dip of 500 to 800

towards N 800 to N 700 W. Three quartz veins are found within slates running in the same direction. The slates are found over lie shaly formation (silt stone) and sandy phyllites which form the foot wall rock.

The Kund slate mining area is surrounded by fertile agriculture land. These Fields provide double crop in a year like musterd, Bajara, Gram,Wheat, Jawar, Guwar etc. These fields are under irrigation by wells, tubewells, and canals. The most of the population of this area is engaged in agriculture.

The area of Kund is marked by moderate steep high hill of metamorphosed shale and allied formation which are surrounded by fine grained blown soil. The average elevation of the area is about 40m. From ground level. The mining area lies on contour height of 300m. The general slope of area is north to south. In the northern part of the mining area there is a continuous hill range of average 450-470m height. The highest altitude is 472m from msl that is in Nn part of mining. The western part of the mining area is almost plain having contour height of 300m.

RF 1:50000

In the area the drainage system is dentric. A major seasonal rivulet crosses the mining area. Another major rivulet flows towards west of the mining site. Most of rivulets in the region are of first and second order.

The northern part of the mining site is covered by dense vegetation that is under open forest having trees of Babool (Accacia orabica), Bargad (Ficus bengalensis linn), Khejri (prosopis spiccigeralinn), Peepal (ficus religiosa), Neem (azadiraehta indca). The Sn,En and Wn parts of the mines are under agriculture fields that have scattered vegetation dominated by trees of Khejri and Babool.

Mining is the second largest industry after agriculture at all scales and regions and it has played a vital role in the development of civilization from ancient times. Most of the valuable materials for man such as metals, chemicals, fuel for energy, rocks and stones for building, all come from mining. However, mining is also an environmentally damaging activity, causing large scale deforestation, fleeing away of wildlife and even extinction of some forms of it and destruction of other natural resources. Mining creates huge wastes and requires considerable space for their dumping and thus triggers a number of environmental problems like land degradation, water and air pollution, land collapse and even construction of roads, slurry dams and lagoons for waste stabilization, civil construction etc. also cause incalculable damage to the environment. As a matter of fact, the conflict between mining activity and its external environment has been intensified in recent years. Consequently mining has lead to the destruction of not only its own resources but also of other productive natural resources such as land, water, air and vegetation. These physical changes, let lose and aggravated, in turn have initiated grave chemical and biochemical changes, many of which are yet to be understood by the man. The extent of such an environmental impact can range from scarcely perceptible changes to highly obstructive impediments. Mining is a very long and complex process and involves several steps between the sampling and excavation of mineral ores to concentration and processing of the final products, leading to a variety of environmental problems. The degeneration begins with the extraction of minerals resulting into land degradation followed by the continuing air and water pollution till the final product is available. The significance and magnitude of the environmental pollution caused by mining depends on the nature and extent of natural resources found in the area. Its geological and geomorphological setting, nature and type of mineral deposit. Impact of Kund mining activity on environment can be summarized as :-

Kund slate mining activity has altered the original landscape of the area. Here mining is done across the hillocks and huge quantity of waste material has been dumped in the Wn as well as En part of the piedmont area. These dumps of overburden look like a hillocks. The contours have been disturbed by the mining activities. One can easily observe rills on the overburden dumps. In the core area mining activities steps down about 50m from the ground level and creates long narrow ditches. In rainy season these ditches are filled with rain water and contaminates the water which percolate down the ground.

The Kund mining area is drained by seasonal rivulets of first and second order. There are 35first order and 6 second order rivulets. Due to mining activities of slate stone 12 rivulets have been disturbed by dumping of overburden,waste of mining activity and mining itself. ground water is ponded in mining pit. In the area there are about 250 edge cutting machines to polish and cutting slate in different sizes. In this operation, ground water is regularly used, resulting lowering of ground water level of the region.

Agriculture fields near the mining area are affected in several ways. Most of these fields near mining do suffer adversely by fly rocks, rolling down of boulder, dust deposition, siltation and dumping overburden. Agriculture fields with in the radius of 500m found most affected. About 15-20% decline is noticed in productivity of agriculture fields. By the mining and its allied activities like crushing, polishing, packing units and transport about 2400 hect. of agriculture land is affected adversely directly or indirectly.

Due to vibration generated by blasting activity and heavy earth moving machinery wells and mud houses of the nearby area collapse, cracks develop in the walls and roofs. About 150 houses have been badly affected in the reigon. The settlements within 500m radius from mines noticed affected maximum. Beside these, accidents take place by the fly rocks, collapsing mines, rolling down of stones etc. About 100 accidents occur annually.

Kund mining activity creates a lot of noise which is very harmful for mine workers as well as for near by population and wildlife. Noise pollution particularly creates by blasting, drilling, loading, unloading, removing overburden, cutting machines, polishing units and earth moving machineries.

AIR POLLUTION

The airborne particulate matter is the main air pollutant contributed by mining. Apart from the fine

and waste dumps as well as tailing disposal area. The transport of mineral from mine through Katcha temporary road provides further fillip to the problem. Mining area nearby state highway creates maximum air pollution.

Opening of mining industries has both positive and negative socio economic Implication . slate mining activity rises the income of local people and to some extent change their social status. In the area near about 5000 people engaged in mining and its allied activities like cutting, polishing, packing, transportation etc. Due to mining operation the area enjoying infrastructural development like communication, schooling, marketing, medical facility, road and rail transport etc. On the other hand some social evils as alcohol consumption and gambling are some of its negative consequences.

The basic theam a behind environmental management is broadly related to the rational adjustment of man with nature, the skillful utilization of environment without disturbing the ecological balance. For sustainable development it is moral responsibility of present generation to protect and conserve the natural resources as well as ecosystem. There are two approaches for environmental management- Preservative and conservative. The first approach pleads for non interference by man in physico-biotic world. On the other hand the second approach is relating to man‘s adjustment and possible accomplishment. In the mining activity areas the second approach is the best way to check and maintain ecological balance. The environmental management depends upon the nature of mineral, topography of the area, land use pattern, climate, drainage and population density of the area. For Kund mining activity the following measures should be adopted to minimize detroiatation of environment :- • Overburden of newly opening mines should be filled in abundant mining pits. • Overburden should not dumped towards agriculture fields i.e. En side of mining area • Mining should be banned in the Nn part as this area is under open forest and have dense vegetation as well as habitat of wild life. • Overburden dumps should be covered by plantation. • To minimize dust pollution either water should be sprayed regularly on the local transportation routes or connects with metalled road. • To avoid accidents the mining area should be covered by boundary wall and the slope of mining pits should not be more than450. • Mines should not dug below the ground water level. • The blasting activities should be prohibited in night and morning it should be practiced in afternoon.

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Associate Professor, Govt. P.G. College Narnaul, Haryana drhawasingh@gmail.com