Implementation of Environmental Management Option in Chromites Mining Region of Orissa, India

摘要

The chromite deposits in Sukinda valley of Orissa, India contain 90% of total deposits available in India. Chromite ore is mainly used in metallurgical industry. Discharge of chromium containing effluents by chromite mines and associated activities could affect the underground as well as surface water systems in Sukinda valley of Orissa. Water of Sukinda region containing chromite mines are found to be contaminated with chromium-VI discharged through rivers. A study in chromite mining areas of Sukinda district was carried out to look at environment and development options as planner, scientist and environmentalist and to document these impacts through the process of EIA on regional level. The mines are preparing EIA and EMP reports for environmental clearance and mining plan for approval by Indian Bureau of Mines under relevant Acts and Rules, Under these regulations individual mines implement the environmental management and mineral conservation plans. These mines are located in a cluster and implementation of individual action plans may not become very effective due to mining projects located contiguous to each other and any action at one mine influences the other one It is concluded that land use planning, as a regional scheme and be made for a 10 to 20 plan year period and all the projects should be brought into one management plan. The unscientific OB disposal, discharge of effluents, servicing of automobile components, transport of ore and benefication by the projects create huge environmental stress in the region and good practices of environmentally responsible individual projects get nullified without benefiting the environment`and the people of the region as there is no plan to address the cumulative impacts. Regional environmental plan may help in balancing such aberrations by combining all projects and impacts at regional scale for implementation.