CurrentNewsMay2009

Ranchi, May 31, 2009: The sleepy towns of Ghatshila and Mosabani in East Singhbhum will soon be abuzz with industrial activities. The state has decided to lease out two copper mines — Rakha and Kendadih — in favour of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), triggering speculation of the public sector undertaking’s speedy revival. For Rakha, mining operations will be renewed till 2025, while, for Kendadih, it will be till 2013. The mines department’s decision is now awaiting a seal of approval from the governor. The Rakha and Kendadih mines, whose leases were held by HCL, had stopped operations in 2001 and 2000, respectively. About 450 permanent employees/labourers of Kendadih were offered voluntary retirement. While some took VRS, the others got transferred to HCL units in other states. Over 700 employees/ labourers at Rakha mines followed the suit in 2001. The public sector undertaking (PSU) “surrendered” the leases in 2004 with global prices of copper witnessing a southward trend. Later, however, it withdrew its surrender petition. This year, quite a few applications from the likes of Jindal, Essar and Meera Exploration were received for control over mining activities in the region, popularly known as Singhbhum copper belt and known for its vast deposits of copper, uranium and gold. However, HCL bagged the lease. Talking to The Telegraph, deputy director of the state mines department R.N. Prasad said that they had decided to grant the mining leases to HCL because it was a PSU and “there had been a request from the Centre”. A senior HCL official, requesting anonymity, said the renewing of leases for Rakha and Kendadih would act as a catalyst in reviving the PSU. “The HCL began incurring losses from the late Nineties. But for the past three financial years, the company has been earning profits. Once we get these mines, production will soar,” he said. At present, the PSU enjoys mining right over 388 hectares in Surda in the Ghatshila sub-division, where it has employed Monarch Gold of Australia for mining activities. The Maubhandar unit of HCL produces copper cathodes and byproducts, including sulphuric acid, gold, silver among others. Surda employs about 1,000-1,200 people and has a production capacity of 1,100 tonnes per day. The capacity of the Maubhandar plant has also increased from 16,500 tonnes per annum to 21,000 tonnes per annum. East Singhbhum district mining officer Ratnesh Kumar Sinha said HCL would enjoy mining rights over Surda till 2014.

Srinagar, May 31, 2009: The presence of numerous “illegal” stone quarries within the forest areas in different parts of Kashmir valley has threatened the survival of the declining “green gold”. While the dense forests have over the years become barren due to illegal felling of trees by timber smugglers allegedly in connivance with the forest officials, the stone quarries are now posing a serious threat to this green wealth. Surprisingly, the quarries, which have been established “to meet the ever growing demand for stones for construction purposes”, have come up at the foothills bearing rich coniferous vegetation of kail, fir and deodar trees. The “illegal quarries”, according to sources, have come up under the very nose of the forest officials. For instance, three stone quarries have come up within the mountainous range on the right side of Trehgam Shimnag road of district Kupwara. The mountain contains a dense forest comprising coniferous trees which includes deodar, kail, fir etc extending to the sprawling area of about five kilometers. With stone extraction from the quarries in progress at a faster pace, the area of these open pits are slowly nearing the site of thick plantation and hence posing a big threat to the forest cover of the area. According to the locals, the stone quarries have come up within the plantation areas after some unscrupulous elements have got a free hand from the forest officials to resort to such illegal practice. “The emergence of so many stone quarries in the area is a matter of grave concern and the problem needs to be seriously dealt with before the forest cover gets completely wiped off. The appearance of stone quarries in the forest range manifests that the forest officers are in hand-in-glove with unscrupulous elements,” rues a local, Abdul Gani Dar. Similar stone quarries have come into sight in Kichihama of Baramulla district endangering lakhs of forest trees. It has been learnt that Joint Director, department of agriculture Kashmir had also taken up the matter with the state’s principle chief conservator of Forests, seeking his intervention to ban the stone quarries that have come up in large scale in Kupwara. The reference number of one of the communications from the joint director input being JDIA/2007-2008/1285-87; dated July 4, 2007. However, according to the agricultural officer, the issue was cold-shouldered for reasons best known to the officials of forest conservation. While the people in general consider the quarries to be eye sores, the experts believe that the coming up of unabated quarries will affect the ecosystem which may lead to unavoidable disaster and hence require some abatement methods to address the problem. “Out forests resources which were already depleting fast due to illegal felling of trees are now bearing the brunt of mass scale extraction of stones within the forest covers. If such activities are not stopped at the earliest, we will invite an inevitable disaster for ourselves as no forests will be left for our future generations and wild animals inhabiting them,” says Mian Abdul Majid, an environmental expert.

Tribal issue: cancellation of mining leases sought
Panjim, May 31, 2009: Demanding immediate cancellations of mining leases which affect livelihood of Tribals, the People’s Tribunal on Sunday observed that the area which the mining companies claim to have leases or concession, is mostly inhabited by the tribals. The People's Tribunal on Restoration of Tribal Homelands in Goa, organised by the Gawda, Kunbi, Velip and Dhangar Federation, held its hearing at Menezes Braganza hall, under the chairmanship of Justice Hosbet Suresh. “We have heard about 60 submissions from different parts of Goa in the last two days and it is clear from their testimonies that there is a concerted effort to deprive the tribals of their land, their home, their sources of livelihood and above all their human dignity,” Justice Suresh told reporters after the conclusion of the hearing. Further pointing out at the mining industry, he said, “The area which the mining companies claim to have mining leases/concession is mostly inhabited by the tribals.” “Though the tribals do not have titles in some cases, they are in actual possession,” he added. He said the existence of tribals is at stake with the operationalisation of mining leases. “The mining leases of the mines that affect the very lives and livelihood of the tribals require to be cancelled,” said Justice Suresh. Moreover claiming that the various tribal communities have a long tradition of environmental balance, the Tribunal also felt that finalising the Draft RP 2021 would be illegal without the consent of the Gram Sabha’s. “The fields, khazans, plateaus, forests and water bodies have been nurtured and preserved by the tribals whose livelihoods are sustainable and harmonious with nature,” he said. However, Justice Suresh continued, “irresponsible mining, indiscriminate industrialisation (SEZs) and haphazard real estate development have been responsible for attack on the lands, lives and livelihoods of the very tribals who have been the custodians of Goa's environment.” “Therefore, every planning and development exercise should include the restoration of the land use based on traditional rights of the tribals on Goa's land,” he said adding “The government's Regional Plan 2021 cannot be said to be legal without the conduct of “gram sabha” meetings and the constitution and deliberations of the gram sabha as visualised under the Forest Right Act-2006 with regard to planning of community resources.” Adv Caroline Collaso, Dr Wandana Sonalkar and Adv Albertina Ameida were the other members of the Jury.

(Source: http://oheraldo.in)

Illegal mining on in Koira

Rourkela, May 31, 2009:: The mining authorities recently seized huge amount of illegally mined iron ore from Koira mining sector of Bonai sub-division and recovered a fine of around Rs 18 lakh. Mining industry sources, however, describe the disclosures as just the tip of the iceberg as rampant illegal mining of iron ore continues unabated. Acting on a tip off, mining authorities and police searched the mines in Kriakudar, Kadalia and Mirthida villages and found around 430 tonnes of illegally raised iron ore. The ore was dumped along the roads and transported to crushers. The Nilachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) has been originally allotted the mining lease, but in the absence of any supervision illegal mining was carried out. Koira-based Deputy Director (Mines) PC Patra said a broker Harihar Prasad, proprietor of Harsh Industries, a crusher unit, Debendra Gupta and a truck operator were found guilty and Rs 18.89 lakh was recovered from them. He said the iron ore was also confiscated. If the NINL failed to act as per the guidelines, a recommendation would be made to revoke its lease, Patra added. Sources said due to slowdown in iron industry the number of operational crusher units has come down to around 40 from 75. Yet, to make a fast buck most of them are resorting to illegal procurement of iron ore from various sources. A source said the penal action has time and again failed to be a deterrent. They confided that mining areas of Kalmong, Kanua and Malda are now bearing the brunt of illegal mining in the absence of deterrent action and supervision.

(Source: http://www.expressbuzz.com)

People's voice buries SCCL's mine plans

Hyderabad, May 30, 2009: In a rare instance of the poor and the illiterate outwitting the powerful authorities, the populace of five villages in Khammam district last week demolished the plan of Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) to evict them to make way for a mine and unanimously voted against the project citing environmental reasons. The victory for the villagers took place at a public hearing held at the tehsildar's office at Sattupalli town on May 21. Despite massive opposition from the people, Singereni Collieries, a government undertaking, decided to start a fresh open cast coal mine, OC-2 or Open Cast 2 as part of its expansion program. Under the project, the people of Rejerla, Kistaram, Lingapalem and Erraguntlapadu would have lost their land while those from 200-year-old Kommepalli faced complete evacuation. In order to seek the opinion of the villagers on the proposed mine, the revenue and pollution control board officials summoned a public hearing on May 21. On the appointed day, by the time the villagers arrived at the tehsildar's office in Sattupalli town, the entire hall was already full. "Realizing that the opposition to the mine was total, the Singareni management very cleverly brought about five bus loads of its employees, drivers, supervisors, administrators both from its mine sites at Kottagudem and Manuguru. Their plan was to project them as villagers who would welcome the coming up of the mine," said Rejaral village sarpanch K Satyanarayana Reddy. However, the persistent villagers had their way. After a fierce argument with the coal company authorities, the villagers marched to the podium and demanded that all the men brought to the hearing by Singareni Collieries leave the venue failing which they would not allow the hearing to take place. Finally, the RDO, who was presiding over the hearing, was forced to tell the SCCL employees and others brought by the management to leave the place. Sarpanch Satyanarayana Reddy then read out the resolution passed by the panchayat against the open cast mining. Later, one by one, all the villagers narrated the reasons why they opposed the project. According to the sarpanch, the mine would have destroyed the environment. "The temperatures in the area have soared ever since the open coal min OC-1 was started nearby. Earlier, the temperature never crossed the 40 degree Celsius mark. But after OC-1 came up, it has shot up to 45 degrees C. If you set up OC-2, the temperature can shoot up to 52 degrees C. And we know no amount of forestation can bring the temperatures down," said the sarpanch. Finally, at the insistence of the villagers, the PCB official declared, in front of the camera, that the OC-2 project has been unanimously rejected by the area residents. "Unlike earlier instances, when the people's voices got buried due to official manipulation of the recordings, this time, we took all precautions against any possible fudging of the verdict of the people," said the sarpanch. And precautions they did take. To prevent any tampering of the recorded version, the villagers got the entire proceedings videographed and also demanded a copy of the version prepared by the PCB officials meant to be submitted to the ministry of environment and forests. It was truly a rare victory for the underdog.

Raipur, May 29, 2009: Faced with the problem of adverse effects on environment and ecology due to mineral exploration and development, the Chhattisgarh Government has urged the Centre to constitute a specific fund to help the state to cover the costs of resource development through mining operations. “The costs of resource development are difficult to quantify and are often ignored. These get transferred from the project owner — who should pay for the costs — to the Government which has to ultimately bear them,” the state Government said in a memorandum submitted to the 13th Finance Commission. Official sources said mineral exploitation caused displacement of local communities and loss of land required for livelihood. There is also increased morbidity and mortality and demographic changes due to migration.

London, May 28, 2009: Members of the rights group, Survival International, held a protest outside the Indian High Commission here on Wednesday to seek Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s intervention in stopping British mining giant Vedanta Resources from “destroying” the land of Orissa’s Dongria Kondh tribe. In a letter, addressed to the Prime Minister, they handed over to the High Commission, the protesters said environment clearance for the mining project in the region was given without consulting the local community. “It is impossible to blast three million tonnes of rock from an open pit every year for 25 years without having the most profound impact on people in the vicinity,” it said.

Protect environment, Guv to mining sector
Panjim, May 23, 2009: Goa Governor Dr. S S Sidhu today appealed to the mining and tourism industries to be more environmental conscious while in business. “Mining and tourism industry should adhere to environmental balance which is very crucial for a State like Goa,” the governor said. Dr Sidhu was on visit to Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) premises at Patto when he made the remark. The GSPCB should provide proper guidelines to these industries in the State, he said adding, “Every town should have a pollution control board to make people aware of the importance of environment.” He said growth of these vital sectors (tourism and mining) should not be at the cost of environment. Opining that the garbage problem could be tackled only through collective efforts, he called upon GSPCB, municipalities and the public to work jointly towards this end. Earlier, GSPCB Chairman Dr L U Joshi made a presentation on various achievements and activities of his department in last five years. “The department has increased its revenue from 2.71 crore to 21 crore in last five years…and now, we are self-dependent,” he said. Giving an account of his department’s efforts to tackle hazardous wastes, Dr Joshi said that he had sought and obtained permission from Maharashtra government for disposing hazardous waste generated in Goa at Mumbai Waste Management Facility, at Taloja. He also said three analytical and microbiological laboratories have been built to test and monitor pollution levels in the State. The facilities were funded by the Central government, he added.

Thanamthitta, May 22, 2009: The illegal quarry functioning in Thannithode panchayat near Konni is posing danger to hundreds of people. Located in the 8th ward of Thannithode panchayat, the land in which the illegal quarrying is carried out falls under the restricted category of the Forest Department . Several lorry-loads of granite pieces are being transported everyday from the quarry under the silent support and patronage of the Forest Department, whose clearance is required for undertaking any activity in the area. The quarry, which functions close to the Ambedkar Colony, is posing danger to the life and property of hundreds of people living there. Though clearances of Revenue, Mining and Geology and Pollution Control Board authorities are required, the quarry operator has been undertaking the illegal activity for decades without any disruption. The quarry poses serious danger to the people living nearby since machines like jackhammer is being used for the purpose. The quarry operator is allegedly using fake certificates of village office and Mining and Geology authorities to transport the granite pieces with the knowledge of the authorities. As the rate for the granite pieces remain high at present, 20 to 30 lorry-loads are transported out of the quarry every day. The officials of concerned government departments are alleged to be getting attractive `package’ in return for their silent support for the illegal activity.

Projects must pass green test: HC

Chandigarh, May 18, 2009: Distressed by the shocking findings of enquiry reports on illegal mining in ecologically fragile lower Shivalik hill areas falling in districts of Yamunanagar, Ambala and Panchkula, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state government to lay out an environmental impact assessment blueprint before pushing ahead with its "commercial enthusiasm" over mining in the region. Asserting that Haryana is a public trustee of natural resources and legally bound to protect the same from private encroachments and "commercial enthusiasm", the HC has banned all non-forest activity, including the mining of major and minor minerals, in the lower Shivalik ranges duly notified as "forests" by the state government under sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA). In their 26-page order on May 15, chief justice Tirath Singh Thakur and justice Surya Kant advised the government to think beyond "commercial gains" and clarified that the Central notification of September 14, 2006, requiring "prior environmental clearance" for mining was not restricted to new projects alone but covered even those afoot. The court's observation annihilated the argument put forth by Chandi Mandir Stone Crushers Consumers Company, one of the petitioners, that the 2006 notification was applicable only in cases where new mining activity was to be undertaken and that projects already underway were out of its ambit. Pointing out that even the existing mining activity in lower Shivaliks "cannot continue without environmental clearance", the bench set a February 28, 2010, deadline for miners and government to get their act together. Next year onwards, Central clearance would be mandatory even for existing mining projects. Brushing aside the state government's argument that the onus for getting environmental clearance for to-be auctioned mining sites lay on mining contractors, the judges drafted do's and don'ts for it, listing preparation of environmental impact assessment report and appraisal of mining projects by environmental panel among others in it. The bench also called the government's bluff of granting short-term permits by dividing the mining area into small zones so as to side-step environmental norms, saying even those could not be granted without due clearance. Under Central norms, environmental clearance is mandatory in cases where mining area is 50 hectares or more. Incidentally, the green order on Shivalik mining has come days before Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan reached in Chandigarh to attend a seminar on `Law and Environment' being organized by Asia Pacific Jurist Association whose patron-in-chief and president are CJ Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Surya Kant respectively.

No mining in Shivalik range without clearance, rules HC

Chandigarh, Sunday, May 17, 2009: In a significant judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered against any mining activity in the areas of Shivalik range of the Himalayas, including those falling under Panchkula, without prior environmental clearance. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur and Justice Surya Kant has directed the Haryana government to implement the Central government notification dated September 14, 2006, to ensure land is protected from illegal mining. The Bench has directed that no public auction be held and no licence/contract/lease or right for extraction of minerals from the Shivalik range be granted by the Haryana government until an ‘Environment Impact Assessment Report’ is prepared and made available as a public document to prospective bidders. The report will be prepared by an expert appraisal committee (EAC) which will look into all aspects of mining and preserving minerals. The committee will also seek suggestions from the public before preparing the report, the court has ruled.

German specialists to study Asansol pit fire
Asansol, May 15, 2009 (Friday): Fresh Efforts are on to douse an underground fire raging in several parts of the Raniganj and Asansol coal belt. A special team of German scientists visited Samdih and Nimcha on Thursday to study the problem and suggest possible solutions. The two places face a serious hazard, posed by blazing coal seams with no signs of the fire burning itself out. People here have been living in constant fear of a catastrophe striking them any day. To find ways to put out the fire, the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) decided to sponsor the study with Coal India approval. The exercise will identify the causes and nature of the fires at the two places and suggest techniques to extinguish them. DMT, a German company with worldwide experience in dousing such blazes, has been given the project along with the Indian company, Avantika. They will first do a study of the nature and extent of problem with the help of techniques and instruments developed by DMT over the past decades. The German firm has handled such projects in countries such as China, New Zealand, Australia and Norway. This is the first such project for it in India, said Satish K. Trehan, the project co-ordinator. The seven member team including five scientists from DMT has arrived to study the situation. The scientists have already begun collecting data, the analysis of which will help determine the possible methods that could be tried out to put out flames. The team went to Samdih village on Thursday, where the local people led them to spots from where smoke was rising through narrow fissures in the soil. The villagers said they were happy that a study had begun, showing them a ray of hope. When asked about the present situation, Trehan told Hindustan Times, “I visited these places lad year: the situation has worsened sine then. We are doing a field study to work out a methodology to put out the fires at these two sites. We are looking for the points through which oxygen is entering into the mines.” He said several factors fuelled the underground fire, illegal mining being one on them. But he said he was confident that the fire could be snuffed out. “More scientists will soon visit the places,” he said. The present team comprises five scientists from DMT- Nadja Golz, Jens Wiegand, Rolf Elsen, Jorg Walter Kayser, Martin Berghoff and K.V. Krishna Rao from Avantika, with Satish K. Trehan, acting as the coordinator.

Villagers seek protection from air pollution
Chikmagalur, May 11, 2009: Villagers of Pirumanahalli, H Thimmapura, Lakkenahalli, Hurulihalli and Kattehole villages in Belenahalli gram panchayat of Tharikere taluk unanimously urged the government to provide protection from air pollution.
Residents allege that the atmosphere there has been polluted with dust by more than four stone crusher units functioning in Survey Number 22 at Pirumanahalli and 26 at H Thimmapura. They blame that the units were functioning without adhering to government rules and the surrounding areas were polluted with dust. Villagers complain that in addition to destroying the forest, the units also had damaged nearby houses by using explosives in their mines. Cracks have been developed in some of the houses in the region, they said adding that the water resources in the region were also dried up due to the mining activities in excessive depth. Though villagers Malleshappa, Nagarajappa, Ramesh, Basappa and Chandrappa have own borewells in their farms, they are not able to grow crops since the water resources were dried up. The region where hay was available in abundance earlier is now facing the acute shortage of it and villagers strive to feed their bovines, villagers informed. Meanwhile, a burial ground situated in the region has been vanished after the crusher units started functioning, villagers complained. While people who have own land bury dead bodies of their kin on their own land, poor were forced to search for burial ground, they added. Villagers said that the Forest Department refuse to take action and claim that the crushers are functioning in the revenue land. The Belenahalli Gram Panchayat had resolved in its meeting to stop the mining on January 15, 2009 and the resolution was sent to the deputy commissioner too, they said adding that no action was initiated so far. Villagers had organised protests in front of the Tarikere Taluk Office twice and a bullock cart procession was also organised earlier.

SC bans mining in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat
Supreme Court halts Aravalli mining in three districts till provisions for restoration, reclamation are ready
New Delhi, May 09, 2009 : The Supreme Court on Friday imposed a ban on mining activities in the eco-sensitive Aravalli ranges falling in the districts of Faridabad, Gurgaon and Mewat in Haryana. Calling the Aravallis “the most distinctive and ancient mountain chain of Peninsular India”, the three-member forest bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan observed that mining operations cannot be allowed in the area “on the principle of sustainable development”. The bench also comprised Justices Arijit Pasayat and S H Kapadia. “Time has now come to suspend mining in the area till statutory provisions for restoration and reclamation are duly complied with, particularly in cases where pits/quarries have been left abandoned,” Justice Kapadia wrote for the bench. “This court has tried to balance mining activity on one hand with protection of environment on the other hand.” Even in 2004, when the apex court banned mining activities within a five-kilometre radius of the national capital, it gave a “warning” that the court would have consider banning all mining activities “at a later stage” if degradation of environment went on and reached a stage of no-return despite imposing stringent conditions. “This prediction has now come true,” Justice Kapadia said while “suspending” all mining operations in the Aravalli hill range “within the area of approximately 448 sq km in the districts of Faridabad and Gurgaon, including Mewat”. Issuing the order, the court noted that environment and ecology are “national assets — they are subject to inter-generational equity”. The court had reserved its verdict on March 27 after hearing a batch of petitions on the contentious issue whether a complete ban, as suggested both by the state and a court-appointed central empowered committee could be imposed.

Prepare plan, says court
The court said the ban would be in place “till a reclamation plan, duly certified by the State of Haryana, Ministry of Environment and Forests and CEC is prepared” in accordance with various environmental statutory provisions. The bench said the plan should contain the steps needed to be taken to “rehabilitate (including reclamation), followed by status reports on steps taken by the authorities, pursuant to the said plan”. Agreeing with senior advocate Ranjeet Kumar who assisted the court along with counsel A D N Rao, the bench pointed out how “extensive mining on a disproportionate scale has resulted irreversible changes in the environment of the Aravallis.” It recalled how mining activities were banned through an earlier apex court order in October 2002 under similar circumstances.

Team finds gold mines in Kurnool
Kurnool, May 5, 2009: The exploration team have unearthed gold mines at Betamcherla and Pattikonda in Kurnool district here. According to sources, two international companies will carry out the mining activities here. Though the Central government has given permission to one of these companies, another company is awaiting clearance, the sources said. The mines at Betamcherla and Pattikonda have been identified after conducting various surveys. The two mine companies have completed aerial surveys at the mining spots. After the completion of aerial survey, the government will issue a prospective licence lease for mining activities in one-third land out of the total mine area. According to sources, the company is yet to arrive at a decision with the state government after the clearance by the Central environment department. It is planning to conduct a survey on public opinion in the next two months, the sources said. The company has reportedly taken a lease of six square kilometres of mining land, based on the Geological Survey of India (GSI) survey report. According to sources, Jonnagiri, Pagidirayi and Bollavanipalli mining sites have been identified in the district. The company expects to fetch at least 16 tonnes of gold from the area.

Illegal sand mining rampant
Alappuzha (Kerala),May 5, 2009: Indiscriminate and illegal sand mining near Thanneermukkom barrage in Vembanad lake is posing a serious threat to the existence of the Thannermukkom bund and the biodiversity of the lake. The sand mafia has been very active in Vembanad Lake for over two years. Residents of Thanneermukkom have accused that the political party workers and the police were hand in glove with the sand mafia with kickbacks changing hands to turn a blind eye to the illegal activity. “They are mining large quantities of sand from near the bund. If this continues it will soon weaken the structure of the barrage,” said Ramanan, a resident. Protest were organised against the sand mafia but it went futile, said another resident Narayanan

Indiscriminate sand mining creates water shortage in Kerala
Kochi, May 4, 2009: Drinking water shortage in several parts of Kerala, especially in the high and midland areas of many districts, has become so acute that the inhabitants have to depend on water supply by private operators for whom it has turned out to be a lucrative business. The sharp fall in the ground water table, even in the embankments of major rivers like Pampa, Manimala, Achankovil etc, following indiscriminate sand mining, has resulted in the wells drying up even in February, environment activists said. “Ever increasing human intervention in several major rivers in Kerala in recent years has changed their physical structure in such a way that it might sound the death knell to these rivers, if the authorities continued to remain indifferent,” they told Business Line. One of the major victims of these activities is the River Pampa. Sand mining has removed the sand bed, which used to remain as a carpet, exposing the clay soil in several parts. Indiscriminate sand mining during the past two decades has deepened the riverbed by an average three to four metres, while there are points where it has dropped by six metres.

Water table
Consequently, the water table in the wells in the catchment areas and in the river basins also have fallen sharply to the surface water levels in the rivers, Mr N.K.S. Nair, General Secretary of an NGO, said. Sand mining, check dams across the rivers, separating a large part of the sand bed as an enclosure for other purposes by dividing the river using permanent construction and so on, have been pointed out as reasons for the degradation of the rivers. When the riverbed level falls, the hydraulic gradient increases leading to higher velocity. As a result, immediately after the monsoon the water that flows into the rivers is drained out quickly. Unlike in the past, rivers are filled during the rains but after a few days of dry weather they become skeleton, said Mr. Nair, a retired engineer. “In the absence of sand no natural retention of water takes place. Sediment deficient flow of ‘hungry water’ picks up more sediment from the stream below the mining site, furthering the degradation process,” he claimed. Thickets have come up at many points in Bharathapuzha and Periyar rivers also, he said. Normal monsoon season in Kerala is from June 1 to November 30 and the State used to receive on an average 3,000 mm of rainfall. Until a decade ago, the water table used to remain at higher levels up to March. But the situation has totally changed now. Immediately after the southwest monsoon, the water level in the rivers falls drastically leading to drought conditions. The wells in the river basin and the catchment areas dry up fast following the drop in underground water table, he pointed out. Environmental degradation is held as the reason for this situation. According to a study of the Kozhikode-based Central Water Research, the water availability by 2050 in the rivers Achankovil, Pampa and Manimala would drop by 459 million cubic metres, 3,537 million cubic metres and 398 cubic metres, respectively. If all these activities were not controlled and regulated by the authorities the water scarcity in the State would acquire serious dimensions in the years to come; this is already experienced in mid and high lands in several districts of the State, they warned.

Mining activities have depleted water table in Sirigao: NEERI
Panjim, May 1, 2009: Mining activities in Sirigao village located 35 km from Panjim have virtually depleted the water table of the village. Also, the topography has been altered significantly due to the open cast mining activity, a study has revealed. The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur in its report submitted to the High Court attribute this environmental degradation to deepening of the mines and loss of recharge area. Mining has also affected soil fertility of agricultural land in Sirigao – silt deposition has degraded the soil fertility of agricultural fields. “The deepening of the mines has led to loss of recharge area for the dug wells seated at the foothills of the plateau. Hence, the water scarcity is attributed to the loss of recharge area and the deepening of the mines,” says the report. According to NEERI report, the water table during the study period – August 2008 varied from 0.50 m to 6.55 m. In October 2008 and December 2008, it varied 0.90 m to 10.30 m and 2.70 m to 9.70 m respectively. The ground water scenario was worst in December 2008, in Sirigao, almost all the dug wells dried up whereas wells in the neighbouring villages had water column even in the month of December 2008. The NEERI upon assessing ground water resources discovered that highs which were present earlier have now been removed because of opencast mining activity and large depressions have been created in the form of mine pits. Thanks to sustained mining activity, depressions have been created with the bottom level varying between -20 m (amsl) to -43 m (amsl). Opencast iron ore mines owned by M/s Rajaram Bandekar (Sirigao) Mines Pvt Ltd, M/s Dempo Mining Corporation Pvt Ltd and M/s Chowgule & Co Pvt Ltd, are having iron ore working mines in and around Sirigao village since 1949, 1951 and 1949 respectively, says the report. According to NEERI situation worsened after mechanised mining started in Sirigao. Production was less when mining was done manually and the mining pit was also at a significantly high level with respect to the aquifer in the area. As a result of mechanised mining, the mine pits are now at a level varying from -20 m to -39 m for all the three mining companies,” says the report. Mechanised mining has been on during last 10-15 years. However, all is not lost for Sirigao. Water crises can be tackled if artificial recharge scheme is put in place, suggested NEERI. “Roof top rain water harvesting, water absorption trench, sub-surface dykes and bentonite grout have been proposed for artificial recharge and control of water seepage to the mine pits. Roof top rainwater harvesting is proposed as priority measure. The NEERI has made cost estimates for all priority measures. The estimated cost of all the priorities for recharge scheme is Rs 660 lakh and for rejuvenation of silt affected soils will cost Rs 1.8 lakh per hectare of the land. But the moot question is who will bear the huge cost? Will the companies responsible for this, bear the cost?

People's voice buries SCCL's mine plans

Chhattishgarh urges Centre to set up mining fund

Projects must pass green test: HC

No mining in Shivalik range without clearance, rules HC