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.

MINING IS OF SEVERAL TYPES:

A) Mining of Mountain tops:

• It's done for coal seams.
• It is a practice where the tops of mountains are removed.
• Eg. Appalachian mountains (North America)

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:

• Strip mining: It is a practical type of mining when the ore body that is to be extracted is near the surface.
• Open-pit mining: It is a process of extracting rock or minerals from the earth through their removal from an open pit or burrow.
• Quarrying: It is a process of extracting material from the surface of the earth. Minerals that lie near to surface are simply dug out.
• Dredging: It helps in suctioning up material from the bottom of water bodies like oceans, lakes, and rivers by deposit. It is an excavation of a place by floating equipment.
• High wall mining: It involves the unexcavated face of exposed overburden and coal in a surface mine.
• Underground mining: Soil and rock overlying mineral deposit is removed and mineral is removed through shafts and tunnels.

But what happens to the environment in mining?

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF MINING:

1. Mining causes climate change.
2. Flyash and dust are a huge problem leading to bronchitis and lung infections.
3. Carbon emissions are dangerous.
4. Causes erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of air, soil, and groundwater.
5. Deforestation.
6. Release of toxic gases.
7. The dumping of rubble and waste is an ecological problem.
8. Radiation emissions.
9. Pollution.
10. Mine construction, and digging incur huge costs.
11. Rehabilitation problems.
12. Landslides: mine exploration, construction, and maintenance costs incurred.
13. Release of radiation.
14. High levels of noise pollution.
15. Habitats are disturbed and the loss of homes to wildlife.
16. Many indigenous and exotic plantation is lost.

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.

SAFETY OF MINERS: 

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:

• www.epa.gov