A Study on Achieving
Reclamation and Landscaping
of Opencast Mines in India
Shubh Kumar
Class Exam Roll No. 511218006 IV
Semester B.Tech Mining
Engineering, IIEST Shibpur Session
2019-2020
Debashish Mondal
Class Exam Roll No. 511218009 IV
Semester B.Tech Mining
Engineering, IIEST Shibpur Session
2019-2020
 INTRODUCTION
• The aftermath of mining activities are severely damaging to region.
• The MCDR, CMR made the reclamation of site after operation
compulsory.
• It is therefore imperative that mining activities should be planned for
reclamation purposes.
• Providing early backfilling  and reclamation/rehabilitation of the mine
or part thereof.
• Hence the reclamation of the mine is important for Environmental
and Social development of the region.
 Chronological Representation of Opencast Mining

Source: KETCO
 Landscape Transformation Due To Mining
• Disturbance of the overburden
• Operations disturbs equilibrium of the Landscape ecology
• Produces alterations on the hydric resources (Surface and
Underground Water Bodies).
• A huge change for the human community living in the region.
• Reallocation and Rehabilitation of the population.
• Increased frequency of human and machinery movements impacts on
the local wildlife.
 Effects on Landscape
• Destruction of geomorphic features  
• Rill erosion Mass wasting  
• Differential settling of fills  
• Degraded mine areas
• Fills resulting from waste rock and tailings
• Landscape diversity is often lost
 Effects on Wildlife
• Physical injury/Mortality  
• Habitat loss/fragmentation
• Loss of wetlands  
• Loss of crucial habitat types  
• Toxicities  
• Increased human activity 
• Induced harvest changes  
• Migration barriers
 Mining Plan
• Provision provided in MCDR, 1988.
• Storage and Preservation of top soil.
• Proposal for reclamation of land affected by mining activities - during
and at the end of mining.
• Stabilisation and Vegetation of Dumps.
• Preparation of dumping ground for stacking toxic mineral substance.
 Post Mining Landscaping: Reclamation
• MCDR 1988, made it compulsory to restore the mined area.
• The details of Mine Closure along with its cost estimates has to be
submitted 5 years before intended Closure.
• The final landform should be mechanically stable
• promote successful revegetation,
• prevent wind and water erosion,
• be hydrologically compatible with the surrounding, landforms, and
• be visually compatible with the surrounding landform
 Challenges
• Erosion control.
• Stabilization of dump slopes.
• Developing alternative use of abandoned mine pits.
• Ecological restoration.
• Top soil conservation.
• Developing alternative livelihood opportunities for surrounding
community.
 Pit Backfilling

• Backfilling of fit formed during

extraction.
• Final highwall configuration, including
consideration of overall slope angle,
bench width, bench height, etc.
• It can be backfilled partially or
completely.
• Waste/OB materials can be used to fill
up the abandoned pits.
• After backfilling(partially, due to lack
backfilling materials), pit is transformed
to ponds, and encourage Pisciculture. Source: Vedanta Ltd..
Pit backfilled and used for Pisciculture at
Sanakhali Iron Ore Mine of SESA (Now Vedanta)
 Waste Dumps
• Selective placement of the
overburden, spoils, or waste materials,
and shaping the waste disposal areas.
• Dumps must be properly stabilised,
i.e. their width, height, slope etc Source: Vedanta Ltd.
parameters must be considered.
• Geo-textile laid dumps stop soil
erosion and helps in plantation.
• Afforestation on Dumps by
Biotechnological approach or Agri –
Horticultural approach should be used

Biotechnologically Reclamation of Dump at Sankhali Iron

Ore Mine of SESA(Now Vedanta)
 Tailings and Slime Ponds
• It consist of impounded mill wastes.
• These ponds are slowly dewatered
first.
• Tailing impoundments may be used
as a backfill.
• Tailings impoundments are typically
placed behind dams
Source: Vedanta Ltd.
• Tailing Impoundments must be
properly studied on the basis of Tailings Pond at Sankhali Iron ore Mine of
composition and toxicity, and treated SESA (Now Vedanta Ltd.)
accordingly before backfilling.
 Surface and Ground Water Management
• The contamination of surface ground water bodies and underground
water bodies can be disastrous.
• Hence, discharge of water from mine during reclamation from ponds
or other sources must be treated first.
• An independent study of water quality should be carried out.
• Natural spring existing at the mine must be protected by constructing
a channel or by other means.
• A designed water monitoring program to ensure compliance with the
approved plan.
 Revegetation
• After the desired landform is achieved, surface shall be stabilised by
vegetation.
• Vegetation production, species diversity, and cover, shall approximate
the surrounding undisturbed area
• Species planted shall include those that will provide for quick soil
stabilization
• Geo-textile laid dumps stop soil erosion and helps in plantation
• Proper Monitoring of growth and survival rate of plantation must be
done.
 Suitable Plantation for Different Minerals Mined from a Region for Revegetation
Mining Area Suitable Plant Mining Area Suitable Plant

Gypsum Prosporia cineraria (Khejri) Lignite Eucalyptus Hybrid, Sababul, Casuarina,

  Zizyphus mauratiana (Ber) Accacia suriculiformis, Bamboo, Termin alia
  arjuna, Accacia nilotica, Eucalyptus
citrodira
Fuller’s Earth Acacia snengal (Kumta)
Bauxite Accacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus
Bentonite (Pilu, Jal), Maytenus emerginata (Kankra) Camaldubenis, Grazillar petridofobia,
Pinus roxburghi, Pinus caribaca, Gravillea
robusta
Ochre Acacia Nilotica
Butea monosperam Iron Ore Gulmohar, Rain Tree, Dalberia Sisrsc,
Jacaranda, Cassia fistul, Acacia
Euphorbia nerifobia
auliculiformis, Bombax malabricum,
Paltsforum, Bauhinia, Talschit, Avakanda,
Marble Khejri, Vilayati Babool Millingtoria, Cassia spectablings
Limestone Vilayati Babool, Arjuni, Ber
Rock Acacia catechu (Khair), Delbergia
Phosphate Sissoo (Shisham), Leucacna luecoplala Water Logged Saline Eucalyptus robusts, E. rudis  
(Subabul), Cuperssus sempervirem(Saru),
Eucalyptus Hybrid, Salix Tetrasperma
Area liable to Inundation Acacia Nilotica, Butea monosperma,
(Jalmala), Pirus roxburghii(Chir), Albazzia

Source : IBM
Zixyphus mauratiana, Lagerstoremia
lebfeck (Siris) floreginae

Zinc  Ficus tomantosa (Pathphodi) Salty Lands Eucalyptus, Phoenix, Tamarix, Thespesia,
Salavadora, Parkinsonia, Aculetak,
Tailings Vilayati Babool and Neem
Prosposis
 Reclaimed

Source: Vedanta Ltd

Stepwise Reclamation of Dump No.2 Jayant Project of Northern Coalfieds Reclamation of Dumps at Sankhali Iron
Limited (Source: NCL) Ore Mine of SESA Goa(Now Vedenta Ltd)
 Cost of Reclamation
• It is based on activities such as dismantling/demolition of structures,
cleaning of sites, rehabilitation of machinery.
• Also the cost of physical/biological reclamation, plantation,
landscaping, biological reclamation of OB Dump, filling of voids adds
up.
• The cost of post environmental monitoring for 5 years, supervision
charges for 3 years will be there too.
• In 2009 IBM said that typically closure cost for an open cast mine will
come around rupees six lakhs per hectare of the total project area.
However from time to time it will modified.
 Conclusion
• The landscaping restoration must be done in proper schematic ways.
• The reclamation must be carried out in accordance with regulations and
statutes.
• It should profit both the environment and the society to a sustainable
future.
• Proper monitoring and maintenance should be done after the
reclamation operations.
• The infrastructure may be used by the local population for their
betterment.
• The cost optimization must done during the reclamation.
References:
Hustrulid W. , Kuchta M. , and Martin R. (2013) - Open Pit Mine Plan and Design, CRC Press, Third Edition, pp 24-38.

Mead E. W. , and Newbill R. A. (1967) - Design of Embankments For Tailing Ponds And Waste Dumps, Review Paper,
Volume 1, Society of Mining Engineers of AIME.

Hekmat A. , Osanloo M. , Shirazi M. A. (2008) - New approach for selection of waste dump sites in open pit mines, Mining
Technology, Volume 117, NO. 1, pp 24-31.

Chamzini A. Y. (2012) - Waste Dump Site Selection by Using Fuzzy Vikor, SME Annual Meeting.

Mazumder S. (2017) - Reclamation after Mine Closure Procedure Considering Biodiversity Offset and Ecological
Restoration: A need of the hour, Review Article, Volume 9, International Journal of Innovations in Engineering and
Technology.

IBM Reports for Reclamation and Mine Closure.

MCDR 1988.
Thank You