Page 17 - RMAI Bulletin July - September 2021

RMAI BULLETIN JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2021

Way Forward: output of the mining process to reduce the negative
impact on the environment. Adopting global practices
Mining industry since colonial times have seen lots of
ups and downs in the market demand. This demand in mining and ensuring safer working condition would
and supply game is common with all the industries in ensure proper growth and stability.
the market but mining sector has grown above it and "Mining is like a search-and-destroy mission".
made its place in the economy as a whole. It being the - Stewart Udall
primary activity of the nation, involves large number
of skilled and unskilled labour, capital, market and the Overcoming the challenge is the only competition any
entrepreneur. Industry also leaves ecological footprint industry would ever have. Mining industry will always
behind in lot many ways. Now, the sector has grown a have those challenges coming.
lot and it is time that it just improves with the modern "Mining is a dangerous profession. There's no
needs and becomes clean as the world is under
environmental crisis with economic slowdown being way to make a mine completely safe: These
just part and parcel of the global market. are the words owners have always used to
excuse needless deaths and the words miners
We must ensure the adoption of digital technology for use to prepare for them".
better mineral resources exploration and surveillance. - Tawni O'Dell
Faster clearance is required to make the process
smooth and hurdle free, remembering that we For Further Reading:
conduct proper Environmental Impact Assessment 1. Health hazards of mining and quarrying-https://
(EIA) and Social Impact Assessment (SIA) before www.iloencyclopaedia.org/component/k2/item/
allocation the projects. There should be proper 610-health-hazards-of-mining-and-quarrying
allocation process which makes the process 2. Hazard identification, Risk Assessment and Control
transparent and rule based to prevent any outside Measures by IJOEM-http://www.ijoem.com/
influence to creep in. article.asp?issn=0973-
2284;year=2017;volume=21;issue=2;
Rehabilitation of the displaced should be made in such spage=56;epage=76;aulast=Rout
a manner that the poor get their right and what they 3. Risk assessment and management of mines and
deserve. Just putting them in a condition worse than mining sector-https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/
they were in, is just the greed and no compassion. english/hs/pubs/gl_risk_assessment.php
Proper check on the utilisation of District Mineral Fund 4. Oresome Resources - https://
is must, as this fund is the basic source of finance in www.oresomeresources.com/app/uploads/2018/06/
the time of need. Any corruption can have a serious Fact-sheet-Opencut-Mining-1.pdf
impact on the life of the people involved in the mining. 5. Supreme Court order - https://www.business-
humanrights.org/en/india-supreme-court-
A regulatory body should be in place to settle the maintains-ban-on-vedanta-bauxite-mining-local-
dispute relating to the sector and not burden the state tribes-consulted-as-sacred-hill-livelihoods-may-be-
judiciary. National Green tribunal issues notifications affected
and orders regarding the protection of forest and 6. Supreme Court order - https://www.firstpost.com/
guidelines related to the working of the projects. As it india/goa-govt-to-consider-tapping-iron-ore-mines-
banned the rat hole mining, the NGT should keep an that-havent-been-shut-down-by-2018-sc-order-in-
eye on such illegal and hazardous activities. bid-to-revive-key-industry-6607681.html
7. Press Information Bureau - https://pib.gov.in/
Mining companies should look into using sustainable newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=170138
procedures and waste disposal techniques, taking into 8. Economic times - https://
account the fragile ecological state. Also, try to economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/
replenish the environment with the help of the local chinas-gold-mine-at-arunachal-border-may-
community or compensatory afforestation as often as become-another-flash-point-with-india/
possible. Once the mine has been closed, effort should articleshow/64245745.cms?from=mdr
be taken to rehabilitate those who lost their land or 9. Economic times - https://
make some optimal use of the land until the land economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-editorials/
regain its natural fertility. We can reduce the input and how-to-end-rathole-mining-in-meghalaya/

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