Page 8 - RMAI Bulletin July - September 2021
P. 8

RMAI BULLETIN JULY TO SEPTEMBER 2021


             The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation)  Let us now discuss in brief about few mining types:
             Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) is the federal law for overall  Y  Surface Mining: When the top layer of gravel and
             regulation of the sector.                           sand is then and the miner or the deposits of ore
                                                                 are found near the surface. This method is broadly
             The Mines Act 1952 - for health and safety in the   used and is predominant in Indian mining industry.
             mines and its operations.                           It uses heavy equipment to extract the minerals.
                                                                 This type of mining is sometimes controversial as
             Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation)
                                                                 it is done closer to the surface of the land, it is said
             Act 2002 - Regulates offshore mineral resources.
                                                                 that it leaves behind a large chunk of that land
                                                                 fallow and unsuitable for cultivation.
             Mining Regulatory bodies in India:
                                                              Y  In-Pit Crushing and Conveying: It is also done
             Y   Geological Survey of India
                                                                 closer to the surface but for the harder minerals
             Y   Indian Bureau of Mines                          that are difficult to be transported as a single ore.
             Y   Controller of Mining Leases                     Therefore, the ore is crushed in the mine itself and
                                                                 are then transported using the conveyor belt. It is
             Y   Directorate General of Mines Safety
                                                                 a gradual method as the mine goes deeper and
                                                                 does not require and form of tunnelling. It can be
             Types of Mining and Methods:                        as deep as 1000 meters. This technique works well
             Mining is the core sector that is essential for the Indian  in the horizontal movement of mine face and
             economy as it almost contributes about 2 - 2.5 percent  becomes difficult when the mine face goes
             of country's GDP and also is important for the growth  vertical. It is not even affected much by the bad
             of other industries like iron and steel, power, cement  weather.
             etc. It is known to all that there are primarily two types  Once the mining is complete the pit is covered or
             of mining: Surface/Opencast and Underground mining.
                                                                 filled with sand and clay. The land can take
             The option to choose the type explicitly depends on
                                                                 hundreds or thousands years to recover naturally
             the depth, geology, topography, mineral and the cost  as during the process the soil underneath became
             of labour and mechanisms.                           acidic. It can be used for recreational or
                                                                 rehabilitation purposes till it can be made
             In India, the surface mining is more prevalent as it has  available for environmental purposes.
             low cost of equipment and technology. For
             Underground mining India is not yet technologically  Y  Underground Mining: This method of mining is
             advanced and cannot deploy such heavy machinery     used when the demand for the minerals increase
             without any experience. To get the maximum benefit  and the open cast mining cannot suffice the
             out of the process, it is very important to choose the  demand raised. As the minerals in the deeper part
                                                                 of the earth are of rich quality and the output is
             type of mining very wisely as the cost and production
                                                                 more. It includes networks of shafts and tunnels
             will depend largely on it. Though much of India's
                                                                 that are dug deep inside the earth's crust to reach
             mineral resources are yet to be fully explored.
             Government with its public sectors companies stays  exact site of the deposit ore. This process is very
             the largest production and participation unit in the  expensive and tiring in nature but the waste rock
             sector.                                             created is low and hence it is preferred. The
                                                                 percentage or ore recovered depends on safety
             With growth in the sector of infrastructure and     considerations. The deeper we dig, the less safe
             automobiles, there would be rise in the demand of   the mining becomes. Major issue is of ventilation
             power and steel which in turn boost the investment  and oxygen toxicity.
             and the technology in the mining sector. Currently,  Y  In-Situ Mining: Or solution mining. This process is
             very small geographical area (0.14% approx.) is under  rarely used in mining material as it is quite
             mining lease and 20% of it is actually mined. But, it is  complex as a process. A solution is pumped into
             estimated that the sector would grow by 7% in the   the ore body, dissolving the ore and the dissolved
             coming years with the growing demand from other     ore is then extracted by the second pump. Mostly
             sectors.                                            in Uranium mining this method is used.

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