UPSC Mains 2025 GS3 Q17: model answer

Coal, iron ore, bauxite and limestone power India's industry. But mining, especially open-cast mining, disturbs land, water and air more than most activities.

Why mining is hazardous

• Land: loss of forests and topsoil; abandoned pits; land subsidence (Jharia coalfield, burning for over a century).
• Water: acid mine drainage, heavy metals, lowered water tables; tailings dam failures.
• Air: dust and particulates; respiratory disease and silicosis among workers.
• Biodiversity: fragmentation of elephant corridors (Hasdeo Arand), loss of Western Ghats habitats.
• Hills and rivers: illegal mining in the Aravallis; sand mining eroding river beds.
• Social: displacement of tribal communities.

Remedial measures

• Planning: strict EIA, cumulative impact studies, no-go areas in dense forests.
• Technology: dust suppression, covered conveyors, water recycling, scientific tailings management.
• Reclamation: mine closure plans with backfilling and afforestation, enforced through financial guarantees.
• Laws: MMDR Act amendments (2015) for auctions and District Mineral Foundations; PMKKKY uses DMF money for affected people.
• Monitoring: satellite and drone checks against illegal mining; Supreme Court's orders in Goa and Aravalli cases show judicial watch.
• Community: Gram Sabha consent (Niyamgiri, 2013) and benefit sharing.
• Sustainable Development Framework and star rating of mines by the Ministry of Mines.

Mining cannot be avoided, but it can be done responsibly. The cost of restoring land must be counted as part of the cost of extracting minerals.