Impact of Mining on Health, Environment and Agroecosystem: Assessment and Reclamation Measures

1. Sanjeev K Morya
   Alpine Institute of Management and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
2. Sneha Kelkar
   Alpine Institute of Management and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
3. Anjana Chauhan
   Alpine Institute of Management and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
   *Corresponding Author: chauhananjana02@gmail.com

Abstract

Soil Mining is one of the leading causes of generating waste rocks, deterioration and degradation of soil in terms of fertility loss and contamination. The mining industry not only provides elements for the innovations of future, but also contribute in providing jobs and economy of nations. Moreover, there are also a number of negative impacts of mining across all levels, i.e., environmental, agricultural and health. In developing nations, mining is also associated with abandonment and shrinking of agriculture land. Agriculture productivity is directly depending on the soil quality i.e., biology of soil, soil organic content, availability of nutrients and other physical attributes. Ecological restoration and mine rehabilitation are the major components of sustainable development strategies. Therefore, in this chapter, emphasis has been given to the impacts of mining and their restoration approaches. We have made an attempt to explore the hidden impacts of mining in agriculture in terms of nutrients loss, contamination, ion imbalance and complete loss of fertility along with rehabilitation strategies of various mine effected problem soils. Conclusively, this chapter can provide guiding the sustainable development of agroecosystem as well as provide reference for mine rehabilitation, agriculture land restoration and other relevant field.

Keywords: Reclamation, Restoration, Microbiota, water harvesting, pit-mining, in-situ mining, splacer-mining, Re-vegetation, pH management