Impact of Mining on Soil and Water Quality in Mangalpur Open Cast Colliery: Raniganj

Abstract

Raniganj is one of the major colliery belts of India. Like any other mining regions, here also land use pattern changes frequently. Mangalpur open cast coalfield, the present study area, is a small one, compared to other collieries of Raniganj coal belt. Moreover, it is a newly developed unplanned private colliery. Such open cast mining activities worsen the quality of natural components of local environment. Vegetation, crop land, surface and ground water, soil fertility etc. are affected negatively by the open cast mining activities.