Mining and mineral experts have called for scientific and planned exploitation of all grades of ores causing minimum harm to forest, damage to existing water resources, minimum displacement of local inhabitants and least disturbance of the environment.
Participating at a National Workshop on “Integrated Development of Mine Areas (IDMA — 2011)” held recently, they called for regular monitoring by the experts in the mines area. They also urged the government to ensure that each mine has a programme for rain water harvesting both on the surface and in the ground with necessary arrangements for the proper management of the existing water bodies.
“In the process of mining, a lot of mineral resources are lost, large areas of forest are cut, both underground and surface water bodies are damaged, a large number of local people and wild animals are displaced and the environment gets highly polluted. In view of this, it is essential to plan and execute Integrated Development of the Mine Areas (IDMA), involving scientific mining, rainwater harvesting and water resource management, afforestation of mine dumps and nearby barren areas, rehabilitating the displaced persons and protecting the environment,” former director general, CSIR, and chairman, Institute of Advance Technology & Environmental Studies P.K. Jena told this newspaper.
At the end of the three-day workshop, Dr Jena said experts recommended for properly planned mining to harness all grades of ores and at the same time causing minimum loss of forest, damage to existing water resources, minimum displacement of local inhabitants and least disturbance of environment. The environment management plan of the mine approved by ministry of environment and forest should be sincerely implemented, with regular monitoring by the experts in the area. The experts also argued that all mines should have a programme for rain water harvesting with necessary arrangements for the proper management of the existing waterbodies.