Mining Hazards.

By Manoj Kumar(HSE Professional,HSEGURU@YAHOO.IN/+91-

8252771261,Aadhaar Number-584186777088,Ex-Alstom).

Professional Journey(Till Date): Alstom India to

Zetwerk(T&D/Railway Division).

Jharkhand, the mineral-rich state of India, is renowned for its

abundant natural resources and a thriving mining sector. The
region boasts an extensive range of mines extracting various
valuable minerals. From coal and iron ore to mica and copper,
Jharkhand's mining industry plays a pivotal role in contributing to
the nation's economic growth. The following table highlights some
of the list of coal mines in Jharkhand, along with the minerals they
extract and their approximate production tonnage.

Name of Mine Mineral Approx. Tonnage (per

year)

Jharia Coalfield Coal 40 million

Bokaro Coal Mine Coal 15 million

Noamundi Iron Ore Mine Iron Ore 10 million

Koderma Mica Mine Mica 8,000 tonnes

Ghatsila Copper Mine Copper 3,500 tonnes

Chaibasa Bauxite Mine Bauxite 2,500 tonnes

Giridih Apatite Mine Apatite 1,500 tonnes

Jharkhand, a treasure trove of minerals, offers a diverse array of

valuable resources. The state is particularly well-known for its rich
deposits of coal, found in major coalfields like Jharia, Bokaro,
Jamadoba, and Pakri Barwadih. Iron ore, crucial for the steel
industry, is abundant in mines like Noamundi, Kiriburu, and
Rajhara. The picturesque Koderma, Giridih, and Hazaribagh
regions are renowned for their vast mica mines, while Ghatsila
and Singhbhum boast significant copper deposits. Bauxite is
extracted from mines such as Chaibasa and Panchpatmali, while
Giridih houses aplenty apatite mines.

Additionally, Jharkhand is a significant producer of uranium,

sourced from mines like Jaduguda. Furthermore, Gumla
contributes notably to the state's mineral wealth through its
limestone mines. The exploitation of these minerals plays a vital
role in the state's economic growth and development.

Lets talk about Mining Hazards. Mining hazards can be defined as

having major environmental impacts including the production of
waste, release of toxic and hazardous waste, air pollution and
emissions, water pollution and depletion, and the loss of
productive land and ecosystems (adapted from UNDP and UN
Environment, 2018).
Over recent decades, mining has generated considerable wealth,
reduced poverty in developing countries, and improved quality of
life through the provision of natural resources. Although mining
has considerable benefits, this industry can have harmful impacts
on people, society, and the environment (Donelly, 2018). The
most common mining hazards include but are not limited to
ground collapse, subsidence, fault reactivation and fissures, mine
water rebound, acid mine water drainage, mine gas emissions,
and combustion. Other notable hazards are mining-induced
landslides, mining-induced seismicity, waste, dereliction, and
contamination. Although potentially foreseeable, mining hazards
cannot necessarily be forecast or predicted in terms of their
timing, location, duration, magnitude, and extent. Mining hazards
can occur in isolation or as groups of hazards occurring
simultaneously (Donelly, 2018).
To prevent mining hazards occurring, monitoring and site
inspections are recommended prior to, during, immediately after
and long after mineral production ceases and a mine is
abandoned (Donelly, 2018).
Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) has experienced
substantial growth in recent years, largely due to the increasing
value of mineral prices and additional sources of income,
particularly in Africa and Latin America. Despite being low in
productivity, ASM is an important source of minerals and metals
and accounts for approximately 20% of the global gold supply and
20% of the global diamond supply. In 2017, 40.5 million people
are estimated to have been involved within this sector. The most
recent estimates are for about 9 million ASM operators in Africa
and about 54 million people whose livelihoods depend on the
sector (IGF, 2017). However, The Africa Minerals Development
Centre considers this a ‘conservative estimate’, citing an
important lack of data on ASM, as the activity is often informal
and mostly operates illegally in several African countries. The
Latin America ASM sector has strict regulations on informal
operators and the use of certain substances but has limited
capacity to implement these regulations. It is particularly difficult
to control informal mining where there are large numbers of
miners; such as in Colombia, where about 87% of 4134 Colombian
gold mining operations are illegal and 95% of all the gold mines
have no environmental permit (IGF, 2017).
Perceptions of ASM activity vary from country to country.
Stakeholders often tend to vilify artisanal and small-scale mining
because of its informal nature and hazardous characteristics, with
significant health and safety risks as well as susceptibility to
social conflict and human rights violations (Barreto, 2011).
The use of hazardous substances in mining puts the health of
miners and their communities at risk – they are exposed, for
example, to mercury, zinc vapour, cyanide, or other acids. This is
a particular concern in artisanal gold mining, where mercury is
frequently deployed and cyanide use is growing. Other health
concerns include inhaling dust and fine particles from blasting and
drilling processes causing respiratory diseases such as silicosis or
pneumoconiosis in men and women, and in the children who often
accompany their parents a lack of ear protection to filter noise
from equipment such as drills or crushers can cause temporary or
permanent hearing loss and speech interference (ILO, 2014).
Concrete actions started in 2018 with a focus on formalisation,
establishing gold-buying schemes, capacity building at the
national level on mercury-free technologies, awareness raising
and knowledge sharing. Governments need to adopt a
progressive approach to eliminating the use of hazardous
chemicals.
Source: Trusted Websites.