Impacts of Mining and Quarrying Activities in the Himalayas: An Overview

The hills of Himalayan region are rich in flora and fauna diversity. The recent developmental activities (specifically industries and tourism) are adversely impacting the biodiversity of fragile ecosystem of Himalaya. Small scale mines of limestone’s are prominent in the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The mines of phosphorite, soapstone and magnesite are also active in these hills. The blasting, drilling and excavation of steep slopes of hills for mines is triggering the landslides and earthquakes. The application of bioengineering techniques or introduction of exotic species for the stabilization of steep slopes hinder the growth of native plants leading to change in the floral diversity. The north-eastern Himalayan states such as Meghalaya and Nagaland are enriched in coal reserves and extensive mining is being carried out at small and large scale. The conflict on the rights of coal reserves in the Meghalaya and Nagaland are highly reported and sometimes it also results in violence and loss of human life. The recent studies show the loss of forest cover, degradation in quality of soil and water in the mining landscape. The pollution level of cleaner air of the north-eastern Himalayan is continuously increasing. It is also observed that the coal mines of Meghalaya are generating acid mine drainage and are potential source of metal contamination.