Photo by Dominik Vanyi on Unsplash
Mountains are beauty and walls of strength to any nation. They make us secure and are a defense from enemies. They are a must to combat winds and are home to wildlife.
But mountains and hills are broken and mined.
Mining is a process of extracting materials from the earth. Ores like iron, manganese, uranium, phosphate, mica, limestone, oil shale selenium, and silicon.
A) Mining of Mountain tops:
B) Surface mining:
It involves mining that removes soil and rock that covers a mineral deposit. We can have access to sand, gravel, stones, coal and iron. It is of several types:
But what happens to the environment in mining?
Industries and our livelihood are all dependent on minerals. Mining creates jobs, helps in development projects, increases economic activity, and causes harm to the surrounding environment. Technology is also dependent on mining. But the greed of man causes environmental degradation. Land and biodiversity are being destroyed. Emissions of greenhouse gases, and fossil fuel burning contribute to climate change.
Corruption, crime rate, and safety of miners have to be addressed.
Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash
Recent news addresses the safety norms of miners. The recent incident of Silkyara Bend Barkot tunnel collapsed on 12 November 2023 and 41 got stuck up for 16 days followed by a landslide.
Their bodies have to be protected, families should be provided proper shelter, health care facilities, education, and housing. Wages and income must be increased.
Most importantly inhalation of toxic gases, proper food, and oxygen cylinders must be taken care of. Mine collapse, coal mine burning, mine blasts, and landslides all disturb areas to a few kilometers.
Mining is economically necessary for the progress of any country but sustainability is required. Plantations must be restored, Underground water contamination checked and soil erosion prevented. Mining creates jobs but nature must not be disturbed.
Reference: