risks and accidents.

The environmental damages are described

as follows:
Human Activities and Their Impact on Environment 19
(a) Devegetation and Defacing of Landscape: Large-scale
devegetation or deforestation leads to ecological
imbalances besides disfiguring the landscape. The
huge debris and tailings spoil the environment of the
region and make it vulnerable to soil erosion.
(b) Subsidence of Land: Underground mining (e.g., coal)
causes subsidence of the soil above resulting in tilting
of buildings, cracks in soil/road, bending of rail tracks
etc.
(c) Groundwater Contamination: Mining disturbs the
hydrological processes and also pollutes the ground
water. Sulphur impurity in many areas gets converted
into sulfuric acid through microbial action, which
makes the water acidic.
The acid mine drainage often contaminates the
nearby streams and lakes and damages aquatic life
(plants and fish).
(d) Air Pollution: Smelters in metal extraction processes
in metallurgical industries emit huge volumes of air
pollutantssulphur oxides, soot, arsenic, lead,
cadmium particles etc. These have public health
hazards for local residents.
(e) Occupational Health Hazards: Most of the miners
suffer from various respiratory and skin diseases due
to constant exposure to the suspended particulate
matter and toxic substances. Such diseases include
asthma, bronchitis, black-lung disease, asbestosis,
silicosis etc.
1.13 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)
The inherent conflict between development and
environment can be solved to a great extent by a sound
environmental management plan which is based on balancing
development with environment. The necessary tool for this
is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Development
should not be treated as an economic goal but as a multi20
Environment and Ecology
dimensional concept covering economic as well as political,
social and cultural aspects of life of common man.
The basic objective of EIA is to identify, predict and
evaluate the probable economic, environmental and social
impacts of developmental activities and take necessary steps
as remedial measures which will be a part of the overall
environmental management plan (EMP).
It is the governments policy that any industrial project
particularly major industry must obtain EIA clearance from
the ministry of environment before approval by the planning
commission. It may be mentioned that EIA is conducted by
a team of experts in the field (environment), appointed by
the Ministry of Environment, Government of India.
1.14 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
As per the definition of the then director of World Health
Organization (WHO), Prime Minister G.H. Bruntland
(Norway), sustainable development means meeting the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future