Environmental Degradation Due to Open Cast Mining Activities in Bundelkhand and Gwalior Region of M.P., India

Open cast mining and quarrying activities are going on in and around the Bundelkhand and Gwalior regions, to exploitation of the Rocks and Minerals, which are non-renewable products of nature, once they are exhausted, cannot be grown like plants and forest. Minerals have significant importance for the development of industrial, social and economic prosperity of any nation. Keeping this in view, the need for a judicious development and exploitation of these natural resources are required without harming the environment. Generally, varied open cast mining and quarrying of Granitic and Dolerite rocks are carried out by various agencies on small to large scale, for the production of, decorative stone, dimensional stone, building stone and road metal etc. At many places environmental degradation is observed during the field survey, due to the said activities of mining methods, subjected to degeneration of the natural resources, dust generation, water, air, noise pollution and the demolition of aesthetic beauty of the precious earth. Health risk and socio-economic impacts are the common hazards as associated with the said mining activities in both the regions. Pursuing the available literature on our National Mineral Policy, it has been found that, there is no strong and clear cut provision to protect the environmental degradation due to the open cast mining activities as going on smoothly in the regions under investigation. An attempt has been made to summarize the whole mining scenario of the regions first time to assess the environmental degradation and how these activities are badly affecting the ecosystem harmony and aesthetic beauty of the region. Remedial measures have been suggested through framing a strong Environmental Management Plan (EMP), to protect the environmental degradation at the mine sites in general.