Opencast Coal Mining Induced Defaced Topography of Raniganj Coalfield in India - Remote Sensing and GIS Based Analysis
- PDF / 1,182,236 Bytes
- 10 Pages / 595.276 x 790.866 pts Page_size
- 57 Downloads / 209 Views
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Opencast Coal Mining Induced Defaced Topography of Raniganj Coalfield in India - Remote Sensing and GIS Based Analysis Abhijit Manna & Ramkrishna Maiti
Received: 28 August 2013 / Accepted: 27 January 2014 # Indian Society of Remote Sensing 2014
Abstract With the advent of mining activities at Raniganj coalfield in India, the natural topography has been defaced in some elongated tracts by either excavation or dumping. This paper deals with opencast mining induced defaced topography of Raniganj coalfield, which needs to be reclaimed properly right after mining. This paper investigated intensity of defacing topography, magnitude of topographic deformations through a number of ex-situ measurement. Consequences of these topographic deformations are also investigated in this study. Through a number of ex-situ measurement based on Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques, generating contour and profiling them over the spoil dumps and excavated lows using fine resolution digital elevation data (Remote Sensing image), a total 132 (85 are abandoned and 47 are working) patches of defaced topography have been identified, which covers 43.26 sq km. surface area. Some working opencast quarries are more than 95 m deep, with an area of more than 2.4 sq km and dumped ridges are more than 60 m high (peak), with area more than 1.5 sq km. In case of abandoned mine (more than 20 years) some quarries are more than 28 m deep with area 0.99 sq km. and some of dumped ridges are more than 28 m high (peak), with area 0.29 sq km. These kinds of defaced surface remain for a long time, such quarries contain acidic logged water and spoil dump leads to acid mine drainage and erosion of loose soil particle. It deteriorates the entire land, water system of the region. The study suggests restoring land right after mining and the area made to be ecologically conformable.
A. Manna : R. Maiti (*) Department of Geography and Environment management, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore 721102, West Bengal, India e-mail: [email protected]
Keywords Defaced topography . Quarries . Spoil Dump . Opencast coal mining . Raniganj Coalfield
Introduction Coal contributes 66 % of India’s energy production. Raniganj coalfield produced 20.72 % of India’s total coal production in 2010 (www.coal.nic.in). In India 60 % of the total mineral production is from opencast mines. In Raniganj coalfield most of coal (76.07 %) production by Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), are done by opencast mining method and rest (23.93 %) are from underground method in 2010–2011 (Annual Report 2010–2011, ECL). In Raniganj coalfield 23 opencast mines are operating under ECL and 3 under Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO) as on 01.04.2012 (http://www. easterncoal.gov.in). Shallow coal seams are mined through opencast method. Opencast quarry is related to excavation and removal of overburden rock and surface soil layers. Destruction of land is the most direct and unavoidable conseque
Data Loading...
