Environment Safety
Anticipated Environmental Impacts & Safety Measures
Land Environment Safety Measures
The Lease area comprises of 48.632 Ha. of Forest Land & 0.740 Ha of non-forest land. Forest Land comprises of 7.936Ha of Khesra Forest land & 40.696Ha of DLC Forest land. Forestry Clearance (Stage-II) has already granted for diversion of forest land for 45.585 Ha. (Excluding safety zone of 3.047 Ha. from the total forest land of 48.632) vide MoEF Letter No. 8-23/2007-FC, dated 13-05-2009. Plantation cost has been provided to the forest department for compensatory aforestation.
Out of 49.372 Ha of lease area, 25.225 Ha land has already been degraded/utilized for mining, dumping, office, roads etc. Additionally 24.147 Ha will be further degraded/ utilized due to future mining activities as at end of life of the mine.
At present, the area under excavation is 17.735 Ha. Mining operation in the scheme period will further degrade 10.589 Ha taking total mining area to 28.324 Ha. By the end of life of the mine; degradation land for quarry will further degrade 14.964 Ha, so that total mining area will be 43.288 Ha.The Quarry will be gradually reclaimed with the available waste material. The waste dump area will be reclaimed/ rehabilitated by soil conditioning & plantation during course of mining.
Air Environment Safety Measures:
The dust generation from mining activities is the major source of air pollution. The emission sources include excavation of ore bodies, drilling, blasting and transportation within the project area which deteriorates the ambient quality. Adequate control measures are therefore, proposed to be taken during mining operation, transportation and loading operation.
Water Environment Safety Measures:
Surface
The surface water quality will not be deteriorated due to mining. It is not anticipated for any flow of wash off from dumps which will contribute to increased suspended particulate and silt to the surrounding natural water drainage channels. In such case, appropriate control measures like check dams and setting ponds has been constructed.Water
Biological Environment Safety Measures:
Out of total ML area of 49.372 hectares, 7.396 hectares is Khesra forest and 40.696 hectares is DLC forest and rest 0.740 hectare is non-forest land. Proposed mining activity will have impact on biological environment as there will be degradation/utilization of the land for mining purpose.
Solid Waste Management :
The total amount of waste generated during the scheme period will be 273540 m3, which will be backfilled in the exhausted part of Raikela Quarry.