Marble Mining and Processing in Southern Rajasthan, Impact on the Environment leading to Degradation of the Aravalis
1. Marble Mining and Processing in Southern
Rajasthan, Impact on the Environment leading to
Degradation of the Aravalis
Presented by
Bhomik Shah
bhomikjain@gmail.com
2. Overview
Introduction
Context of the Aravalis & Marble Mining
Objective of the Study
Mining & Processing in the Study Area
Methodology
Business & Economic Scenario
Employment Opportunities
Tribal Development
Impact on the Environment
Degradation of the Aravalis
What can be done
Energy saving and Renewable Energy
Conclusion
3. Introduction
Greek root “Mamaros”
Technically: recrystallised variety of limestone
It has 66% of the country’s marble reserves
Rajasthan produces 85-95% of India’s total marble
production
Tajmahal : Makrana (Rajasthan) marble
4. Context of the Aravalis and Marble Mining
The Aravalis is most ancient
mountain chain of peninsular
Aravalis
India
One of the oldest geological
formations of the world
Stretch of 615 kms from
Delhi –Haryana-Rajasthan –
Gujarat 50,000 sq. kms area
A rich source of minerals
5. Context of the Aravalis and Marble Mining
Mining is second only to
agriculture as the world’s
oldest Industry
Stone Age , Bronze age and
Iron Age
Marble mining is an open
caste surface mining
Use of heavy machinery,
huge manpower, fuel and
energy
6. Objective of the study
To find the economics of marble industry and its impact on
tribal
To assess socio-economic impacts and employment scenario
To assess environmental impacts in the context of the
Aravalis
To find cause effect relationship between marble mining and
degradation of the Aravalis
7. Marble Mining & Processing in the Study Area
The study area is three dist. Of Raj: Udaipur, Rajsamand
and Banswara, Collectively Udaipur Zone
Geographically forming Southern most part of the State
and tailing end of the Aravalis
23°30’ N to 28°39N latitude and 74°24 E to 75°33 E
longitude
8. Marble Mining & Processing in the Study Area
First marble mine in 1955 (Current total 1574)
till 1980 only 9 mines, thereafter Geometrical progression
Increase in number of Mines
545
454
336
199
31
9
up to 1981-85 1986-90 1991-95 1996-00 after
1980 2000
9. Methodology
Marble is found on vast horizontal area
Cluster mining
Mining belt development
Three mining belt, one from each district was chosen:
Rishabdeo-Obri belt (Udaipur)-159 leases
Rajanagar-Kelwa belt (Rajsamand) 239 leases
Tripura-Sundari belt ( Banswara) 170 leases
10. Methodology
A sample size of 30 households from each mining belt
A sample size of 30 workers from each mining belt
Two survey questionnaires were prepared in Hindi
One for workers, other for households
For household survey male above 40 years of age
For workers no age criteria, mix age group
11. Marble Mining & Processing in the Study Area
Total area under mine leases
is 1805 sq. hectares
Marble processing Industry:
Marble gang saw (350)
Marble tiling (40)
Marble arts and craft (35
Major)
12. Business and economic Scenario
in 1950 total marble prod. of Raj: 17620 tones, revenue
1.17 lakh
Now the study area only produces 4.74 million (2006-7)
tones
Annual royalty of Rs. 920 million (2006-7)
Business sales of Rs.4,527 million (2006-7)
Excluding business done by arts and crafts and allied
sectors
13. Employment Generation
A single mine employs 20-30 workers depending upon
lease size, most of them are labour class
A single gang saw employs 20-22 workers
Total employment around 37000
More than 50% are local, rest emigrants from UP, Bihar
and MP
Unskilled/semi-skilled/skilled labour-wage rates varies
14. Employment Generation
Workers survey : basic outcome:
61.1% local
No female employment
Wages paid below govt. rates
Average annual working days 270-300
Lowest wage rate Rs.96 per shift
Local workers as unskilled or semi skilled
Emigrants from other states get higher wages
Average wages(Shift) Rs. Local: 104, Emigrants 187
15. Marble Mining and Tribal Development
Pre-mining phase:
Were depend upon agriculture and cattle rearing
No transportation facilities
No easy access to health, education and other basic
amenities
Disguised employment
No cash in hand
Land mortgage or selling only resort in emergency
16. Marble Mining and Tribal Development
Post-mining phase:
No more depend upon agriculture or cattle rearing
Web of roads, transportation facilities
Easy access to health, education and other amenities
Opening of employment opportunities
Agriculture as secondary occupation
Additional family income
Increased purchasing power
17. Marble Mining and Tribal Development
Household Survey: basic Outcomes
1.14 person per household employed in marble mining
industry
Rs. 3556 monthly income
Agriculture as an extra support
Many people work in multiple shifts, additional income
Estimated cash inflow:
670.07 million rupees annual cash inflow as wage earnings
(assuming 285 days of employment)
18. Marble Mining and Tribal Development
Negative Impact
Orientation towards money and wage earnings
Detachment from the nature, especially forests
Detachment from their own customs and traditions
Apathy towards decreasing forest cover and vegetation
86.66% people did not show any concern for forest
Health hazards
19. Impact on the Environment
Mining implies selection, selection implies rejection
Being opencast mining: requires topsoil & Vegetation
removal
Unscientific mining method
Heavy machinery
Fuel consumption
Water consumption
Energy consumption
Solid waste generation
Heavy transportation
20. Degradation of the Aravalis
Geomorphic Disequilibrium:
Average depth of marble pit 20-30m
Marble pit with 40-50m depth
As lease area extends over 1805 sq. hectares: a huge
volume
Blasting, chain pulling weaken internal rock structure
Disruption of geology
21. Degradation of the Aravalis
Crevices
Geomorphic Disequilibrium:
Visible crevices on the hillocks of the Aravalis in Udaipur District
22. Degradation of the Aravalis
Waste Overburden:
50% of the mineral is waste
Vast area under dumping
sites
2.37 million tones of waste
generation, 1.42 million tones
of solid waste annually
Artificial hillocks of solid
marble waste
23. Degradation of the Aravalis
Waste Overburden:
1.28 million tones of marble slurry
Discharging on barren lands or roadsides
Hillocks of waste hillocks of waste are higher than the
Aravalis
This solid waste
composes hazardous
components
Loss of aesthetic
beauty
24. Degradation of the Aravalis
Impact on Biodiversity:
Flora:
Deforestation on vast area
Denuded Aravali hillocks
Mining and waste-dumping
affected a lot
Once very dense forested
land
Now scattered vegetation
Massive loss after 1990s (
Extreme Mining)
25. Degradation of Aravalis
the Aravalis
Impact on Biodiversity:
Flora:
One researcher from Honduras visited forests of the
Aravalis in 1987-88
Found teak and bamboo as climax species
Today no sign of both of these two species in this area
Species like Zizyphus mauritiana and Phoenix sylvestris
have almost vanished
Huge reduction in vegetation cover
26. Degradation of the Aravalis
Impact on Biodiversity:
Fauna:
Last panther in 1991 (Rishabdeo)
Tripura- Sundari was heaven for Nilgai till 1991-92
Rajsamand lake attracted Saharan migratory bird
Decrease in vegetation Snatched home of wildlife species
Noise: deflected birds, insects and butterflies
species migrated from here created pressure on other
forests
Natural control of population
27. Degradation of Aravalis
Impact on Agriculture:
Dust particles layers on standing crop, on open fields
Nearer the fields, more the dust layer
Effect on health of the crop
impact on soil texture
Ultimately impact on productivity
Gang saw unit also generates dust particles
Scattered fields, small fields size
Farmers do not weigh yield
Increase in the salinity of the soil
28. Degradation of Aravalis
Impact on Agriculture:
Parameter Belt A (Udaipur) Belt B (Rajsamand) Belt C (Banswara)
Rishabdeo-obri Rajanagar-Kelwa Tripura-Sundari
Productivity Decreasing(30) Decreasing(29) Don’t Decreasing(29)
Increasing/Decreasing know(1) Increasing(1)
Use of Fertilizers Increasing(30) Increasing(29) Not Increasing(25) Not
Increasing/Decreasing Using(1) Using(3) Not Sure(2)
Use of Pesticides Increasing(10) Increasing(07) Not Increasing(03) Not
Increasing/Decreasing Not Using(20) Using(13) Same (5) Using(21) Same(6)
Seed Quality Market Market Purchased Market
From previous Purchased(23) (28) Previous Crop(2) Purchased(25)
crop/Market Previous Crop(7) Previous Crop(5)
purchased
29. Degradation of the Aravalis
Water Scarcity and Water Pollution:
Single marble gang saw consumes 43000 liters/hr water
Udaipur zone has 350 such gang saw
Per day water consumption (1shift) 120.4 million liters of
water
Annual water consumption 34.314 billion liters of water
Can fulfill annual water req. of 15 lakh Indians
Marble mines also consume millions of liters of water
Water scarcity problem
Rajsamand groundwater lowered 7.6 m. b/w 1994-2004
Death of Banas and Gomati rivers
30. Degradation of the Aravalis
Water Scarcity and
Water Pollution:
Waste disposal near
water bodies
Discharge of slurry in
water bodies
Gang saw located on
river sides in Rishabdeo
belt
Reduction in storage
capacity and loss of
aquatic life
31. Degradation of the Aravalis
Fuel and Energy Consumption:
Heavy machinery require fuel
Equipments require electricity
One gang saw unit consumes
45kwh elect
Annual elect. consumption by
marble mining in Raj. is 1500 MW
annually (PWC project based
calculation)
32. What Can be Done
Use of advanced technology
Discarding unscientific methods: Blasting. Rope and
bucket
Use of marble slurry in brick manufacturing and toy
making
Limiting the max. depth of marble pit
Proper discharge of waste and slurry
Green belt development
Restoration of abandoned mines
33. Saving Energy & use of Renewable Energy
Replacing worn out pumps, motors and machinery
Switching from analog to digital control of equipments
Adopting Variable Speed Drive(VSD) in motorized
equipments which will save apprx. 400-500MW annually
Laser-scanning and digital photogrammetric technology
Solar energy usage in tiling plants, where energy needs
are low
Use of Photovoltaic (PV)solar system ( in China)
Use of Geothermal energy in mining (South Australia)
Use of biomass powered electricity (Brazil)
34. Conclusion
Alarming situation in the mining areas
Total degradation of Aravalis
Need to take action
Participatory approach
Need based mining
Energy efficient mining