GOWRI(009), ASMI SHARMA(013), PARTH(038), BHANUPRIYA(044) 1

DESCRIPTION ABOUT THE PROJECT

⬥ Jamadoba Colliery, a captive coal mine of Tata Steel Ltd, as per
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification dated 14th
September 2006, proposed project falls under schedule Mining of
Minerals-‘1(a)’ of category- ‘A’ and requires prior Environmental
Clearance (EC) to be obtained from Ministry of Environment, Forest &
Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The proposed modernisation of
underground coal mine is planned with a production capacity of 0.34
MTPA (raw coal) in ML area of 927.17 ha at Jorapokhar, Pattiya Dungri
village, Jharia tehsil, Dhanbad district, Jharkhand.

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 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE DATA
⬥ OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT: To produce steel grade Coal required at Integrated
Steel Plant at Jamshedpur, Kalinganagar and others to produce steel and to reduce the supply
of imported coal.
⬥ LAND AREA: 927.17 ha
⬥ TOPORAPHY: Topography of the lease area is mildly undulating. Surface elevation varies
from the highest at 178 m to the lowest at 140 m amsl. General slope grades towards south
and west as west side & south side area are boundary by Damodar river. The buffer zone of
the project area represents sloping topography ranging from approximately 231 m amsl to
138 m amsl(above mean sea level).
⬥ LAND USE: The land use pattern of the study area indicates that 51.6% of the study area is
under agricultural lands followed by water bodies of about 6.9%. Percentage of built-up area
and forest area is about 13.6 % and 3.4 % respectively. Wastelands is about 24.5 % of study
area. 3
⬥ METEOROLOGY: Temperature ranged from 9.20C to 36.30C and the relative humidity
 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE DATA
⬥ MOSAMAC OF THE AREA:

⬥ ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE SITES: The mining project is site specific as such no alternate
sites were considered and proposed modernization project will be within the mine lease area of
927.17 ha. Thus, no alternative has been studied. Jamadoba coal mine is an underground mine in
operation since 1955.
⬥ GEOLOGY: The Jharia Coalfield is sickle shaped with its longer axis trending in a NW – SE
direction and plunging towards west. It represents one of the outliers of Gondwana sediments
(Gondwana Super Group) within the Archaeans in the Damodar Valley region.Jamadoba Colliery 4
lies in the South Central East segment of Jharia Coalfield, Dhanbad district and is occupied mostly
 ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE DATA
⬥ HYDROGEOLOGY: The entire study area in and around the mining lease site is occupied
by compact and hard rock belonging to Archaean period which are devoid of any primary
porosity. The ground water in such formation occurs within the secondary porosity such as
joints, fractures and bedding plains. The ground water occurrence and movement is
basically controlled by the prevailing morphology and intensity of structural
discontinuitiesThe depth to water table over the entire study area range between 2.5 m bgl
at Gobindpur village to 11.3 m bgl at Bara Baghmara village during pre-monsoon, whereas
the post monsoon water level varies from 0.60 m bgl at Barajamua village to 8.55 m bgl at
Dhakra village.
⬥ BIOTIC ENVIRONMENT : There are no Schedule I species found in the 10 km study
area. The rest of other fauna found in the 10 km study area are listed in the scheduled –II,
III, IV and V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Incidentally there is no presence of any
endangered botanical flora in the study area, as per the records of Botanical Survey of 5
 ASSESSMENT OF THE POSITIVE IMPACTS
⬥
Mining is a very profitable business and it also creates employment
opportunities. It benefits everyone including the government and that is why the
mining industry is widely supported.

⬥ In the coal field of Jharkhand majority of the tribal women are employed in
secondary activities such as loading and unloading of coals .These women workers
are contract laborers , and paid on the daily wage basis.

⬥ Providing environmental (wildlife) corridors to link adjacent habitat where

mining is to be carried out in such sensitive afforested areas.

⬥ Suitable design of greenbelts/shelter beds with selected species should be

provided which can also respond to attenuate dust, gaseous emissions and noise
levels.

⬥ Due to the nature of mining and occurrence of typical mineral deposits it is not
possible to restore the entire ecological scenario in the mining areas.

⬥ C o a l e n e r g y a r e c h e a p / a f f o r d a b l e e l e c t r i c i t y , b e i n g a b l e t o d e v e l o p e c o n o m i e s a n6 d
industrial sectors , provision of jobs at coal power plants, coal mines and
 ASSESSMENT OF NEGATIVE IMPACTS
⬥ Land degradation: It is a known fact that it takes million of years to form soils but only days to damage it.

⬥ Loss of terrestrial biodiversity: Often to initiate mining in a given area ,habitats of several minerals are torn apart,
threatening their survival. Some endemic plants species have to become threatened, vulnerable or even extinct

⬥ Exposed hazards and toxic substances: Usually, toxic substances remain trapped within the minerals which could
prove to be determined if exposed to the outer environment, further responsible for contributing to water pollution, air
pollution and soil pollution. For instance, coal often contains Sulphur compounds within it and excavation of coal result
in the unveiling of these Sulphur compounds, which has got its own set of negative property.

⬥ Water pollution: It often happens that the deadly chemicals present in and around the mines makes their way into
water source ,getting aided by agents like rain, and dissolve in them, changing the texture, color and properties of water.
This contaminated water results in killing of aquatic beings, and harassing the local people who are dependent on such
water bodies for satiating their water needs.

⬥ Destruction of forms of community subsistence and life : Owing to the eruption of mines, the indigenous people 7are
compelled to refrain from their traditional jobs and to take up new jobs, and herald a life which is full of oppression
 IMPACTS DURING CONSTRUCTION STAGE
⬥ Acid mine drainage and contaminant leaching : Leaching of toxic constituents,
such as arsenic, selenium, and metals, can occur even if acidic conditions are not
present. Elevated levels of cyanide and nitrogen compounds (ammonia, nitrate,
nitrite) can also be found in waters at mine sites, from heap leaching and blasting.

⬥ Erosion of soils and mine wastes into surface waters : “Potentially adverse
effects of inadequate mine site water management and design include: unacceptably
high levels of suspended solids (Non-Filterable Residue) and dissolved solids
(Filterable Residue) in surface runoff and bed and bank erosion in waterways.

⬥ Impacts of tailing impoundments, waste rock, heap leach, and dump leach
facilities: These impacts include contamination of groundwater beneath these
f a c i l i t i e s a n d s u r f a c e w a t e r s . To x i c s u b s t a n c e s c a n l e a c h f r o m t h e s e f a c i l i t i e s ,
percolate through the ground, and contaminate groundwater, especially if the bottom
of these facilities are not fitted with an impermeable liner.

⬥ Impacts of mine dewatering :When an open pit intersects the water table,
groundwater flows into the open pit. For mining to proceed, mining companies must
pump and discharge this water to another location. 8
 IMPACTS DURING OPERATION STAGE
⬥ The impacts of mining on the environment could take place at region, district, and worldwide via indirect and direct mining
operations. Environmental impacts of mining could occur on the account of mine damage mechanisms like erosion of mine
dumps, sinkholes, and the pollution of surface water, groundwater and soil through the chemicals released from mining processes
and the extinction of species.

⬥ In addition, these processes have negative effect on the atmosphere because of the release of carbon, which in turn influences
biodiversity and the quality of human health.

⬥ Erosion of mine waste, particularly tailing and waste rock could greatly affect the quality of surface water. Considering that
practices of mining and mineral processing usually generate extensive amounts of solid and liquid waste, mobilized metals could
directly come from open mine tailings or mine dumps.

⬥ Furthermore, non-vegetated surface-mined lands shelter substantial zones in different parts of the world. Therefore, it is
evidently shown that substantial discharges could take place due to other external turbulences (such as transformation of in-
channel topography or construction of roads and infrastructure) at mining sites.

⬥ The contamination of the environment through heavy metal from mining takes place through different distinguished passage-
ways via operational timescales and associated effects on eco-systems. Furthermore, the extent of river loading by metals can be
effected by in-channel storage and erosion, underlining the complication of the dispersion of noxious waste, storage and 9
remobilization in mining regions.
 ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN
 NOISE POLLUTION CONTROL
⬥ Defects can be identified with portable
noise-level meter monitoring on regular
basis
⬥ To reduce noise level , corrective actions
are taken by Repairing and improving
silencers, mufflers etc
⬥ Condition monitoring by noise are being
undertaken for machines , To prevent
breakdown
 AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
⬥ Paving of transport roads and haul
roads in quarries.
⬥ SPM CONTROL FOR THE NEW
UNITS,AS WELL AS OLDER ONES.
⬥ regular water spraying on the unpaved
transport roads.
⬥ dust control with the mechanical
suction duct tapes.
⬥ Spraying of water in dusty workplaces.
⬥ deploying or redesigning machines
generating less dust.
 GREEN COVER DEVELOPMENT PLAN
⬥ Greenbelt has been developed around fan house and
will be further strengthened and around 12.00 ha of
the land will be developed under greenbelt/green
cover. The main objective of the green belt is to
provide a barrier between the mine and the
surrounding areas. The greenbelt helps to capture the
fugitive emissions and to attenuate the noise
generated in the mine apart from improving the
aesthetics of the mine site. In order to control the
industrial pollutants, dense tree plantations are
necessary.
⬥ The short trees (<10-m height) will be planted in the
first rows (towards plant side) of the green belt. The
tall trees (>10 m height) will be planted in the outer
rows (away from plant side.
⬥ Planting of trees in each row will be in staggered
orientation (triangular form). 10