Environmental concerns due to Heavy Mineral Mining
The process of heavy mineral mining begins with extracting mineral rich sand from the sea shores and transporting it to a processing plant. In India this extraction is done manually using hand tools. Although, in heavy mineral mining you need to extract sand from the shores, it does not lead to any depreciation of land, because the sand after the extracting the minerals is transported back to the shores and filled in the places where mining is conducted. Sustainable methods of mining ensure that there is no environmental harm is caused due to this activity. If the right care is taken, the entire process can be pollution free and cause very less or no harm to the people living near the mining areas. Activities mentioned below can be undertaken in support of environmental sustainability while mining: • Sprinklers at mining sites minimize the spread of red dust in the atmosphere.