Impact of Open Cast Coal Mining on Air and Water Environment and its Management

Abstract

Major environmental impacts result from both underground and opencast mining. Some of the issues are common for both types of mining such as lowering population change in land use pattern, habitat disturbance and Socioeconomic stresses. Some impacts are more pronounced for underground mining as mine fire, problems of subsidence etc. While issues related with land degradation, waste dumps, air pollution, noise and vibration problems are more prominent in case of open cast mining. Air pollution in coal mines is mainly due to the fugitive emission of particulate matter and gases including methane, sulphur dioxide and oxide of nitrogen. The mining operations like drilling, blasting, movement of the heavy earth moving machinery on haul roads, collection and transportation and handling of coal, screening, sizing and segregation units are the major sources of such emissions. Underground mine fire is also a major source of air pollution in some of the coal fields. The major sources of water pollution due to mining are mine drainage, water seepage through waste dumps, surface run off and ground water interception with excavation. Operating and disused mines may be a source of acidic water containing iron and other salts depending on the composition of the coal bearing strata. The mine effluent affects the water quality of surrounding Nala/reservoir/river.