Environmental impacts of Indian small-scale mining industry - an overview

India is among the top ten mineral producing nations in the world and its economy depends on the value of minerals produced. Small-scale mining is more prevalent in India. Although mineral production has increased significantly since country's independence, what continues to be overlooked, is the contribution of resident small-scale mines to national mineral output. Approximately 90% of India's mines are operating on a small-scale, employing some 0.5 million people. It provides a wealth of socio-economic benefit to the rural inhabitants. However, because of their rudimentary and highly migratory nature, these operations feature poor environmental management and safety conditions. This paper examines the unique techno-economic and socio-cultural characteristics of some selected small-scale mining regions in India. It identifies the drawbacks in the existing government policy and discusses the role of government for up gradation in this sector. It also focuses the need for technical up gradation and to ensure the economic and social infrastructure.

Keywords:

• Ecologically Sensitive
• Effective Technology
• Mineral Policy
• Safety
• Conservation