Informatics Publishing Limited

Jitendra Vir Sharma , B. S. Choudri , P. V. Sridharan

Abstract

Impact of mining upon land, air and water has been debated for quite some time. The present intense mining activity at the expense of the environment has resulted in global awareness to undertake studies to provide means of countering environmental damage. In Goa, indiscriminate mining has resulted in profound ecological degradation. Mines and their dumps are situated on hillocks. As a result during heavy monsoon, huge quantities of silt material from dumps washes away and deposits in the nearby agricultural fields, water courses and private and public lands located at low levels and contributes towards degradation of these resources. Pilot scale trials of plantation on representative degraded land were conceived and planned experiments carried out. These advanced techniques of rehabilitation would help in controlling further degradation of resources. Techniques have been developed looking at the existing dump material in Goa and three models of rehabilitation carried out. These have been found to give results in the improvement of physico-chemical properties of the soil, reduction in soil erosion, improvement in water conservation and green coverage of the area. The details of these models of rehabilitation and their application in the context of Goa are discussed in this paper.

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Suresh Chauhan , Jitendra Vir Sharma , Banwari Lal , Varghese Paul

Abstract

Based on the findings of the research trials on the rehabilitation of red mud conducted by TERI, New Delhi, a field experiment was implemented on pilot basis over 1.08 ha of the red mud pond at INDAL, Belgaum, Karnataka. Optimum combination, identified in the trials i.e., Red mud + 25% FYM + 15% Gypsum + 5% Vegetative dry dust + Bacteria + Mycrorrihaza, was used for the field experiment. Five tree species, i.e., Prosopis juliflora, Pongamia pinnata, Acacia nilotica, Leucaena Leucocephala and Albizia lebbek and five grass/legumes species i.e., Brachiaria mutica, Chloris gayana, Sesbania sesban, Brachiaria decumbens and Stylosanthes scabra, identified through the research trials, were grown in the experimental plot. The findings reveal remarkable changes in physical and chemical characteristics of red mud after amendment, which provides conducive medium for plants to grow. After thirteen months, among the tree species, Leuacaena leucocephala species showed maximum average growth rate and low mortality, while among the grass/legumes, all the five species gave good growth and survival. The micronutrients contents increased and alkalinity of the red mud decreased up to seven months from the start of the experiment. However, after seven months there was reduction in the micronutrients contents and increase in the alkalinity of the red mud, which is due to the uptake of micronutrients by the plants.

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Jitendra Vir Sharma ¹, Yogesh Gokhle ¹, Suresh Chauhan ¹, Aparna Tyagi ¹

Affiliations
1 The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, IN

Abstract

The Forest Right Act, 2006 has been implemented by Maharashtra State and recognized 108112 (Individual, Community and Community Forest Resource Rights) consisting of 305561.9 ha of forest land in 22 districts till 31^st July 2014. The forest rights recognized on 14668.96 hectare of forest land are against the provisions of Forest right Act, 2006 which causes emission of 113395 tonnes of CO₂ in the atmosphere due to deforestation and loss of opportunity for Carbon sequestration at the rate of 9017 tonnes of CO₂ per year, and also the loss of other Ecosystem Services.

Keywords

Forest Right Act, Green House Gases, Above Ground Biomass, Below Ground Biomass, Remote Sensing-Geographic Information System.

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