Dr Asangba Tzüdir
Our land is marked by natural beauty and serene topography. She is abundantly blessed with a rich biodiversity and more importantly the state’s biodiversity is also a part of the Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot. It has been estimated that over 81,000 species of fauna and 47,000 species of flora are found in Nagaland. Though, the rich diversity of flora and fauna in the state is yet to be fully documented. Now, the study done by the Nagaland Pollution Control Board (NSCB) on coal mining has clearly suggested that current methods of coal mining in the state poses a threat to the flora, fauna and also the people especially those living in the vicinity of the mines. With the amount of deforestation and its associated impacts caused due to mining, it is not simply a threat. The damage has set a dangerous precedent. On forest cover, according to NRSA (National Remote Sensing Agency) in 1980-82, the total forest cover in Nagaland was 49% of the total geographical area of which actual good quality forest was only 29.8 (Choudhury, 1986). It further added that, considering the rapid destruction of forest, the good quality forest may now be just 20%. Further, the govt. controlled reserved forest accounts only for only 7% of the total area of the state while the remaining areas belong to the people.
In our state of the two widely used methods of coal mining, strip mining (also known as open cast, mountaintop or surface mining) is commonly practiced which also involves rat-hole mining. Strip mining has destroyed landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats due to clearing of the site of the mine resulting in removal of trees, plants, and topsoil from the mining area. This has lead to soil erosion and destruction of agricultural land. Again, a lot of contamination has also been caused to river waters involving chemical contamination of ground water. Since it thoroughly damages the soil, any attempt to re-seed the land destroyed by coal mining will be a difficult proposition.
Coal mining which is the first step in the dirty lifecycle of coal thereby comes with a huge baggage of hazards both health and environmental. The most common health threats are Pneumoconiosis, aka black lung disease or CWP and others like cardiopulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, lung disease, and kidney disease. Again, beginning with deforestation, coal mining releases huge amount of toxic minerals into the soil and water, the effect of which persists for years after the area is abandoned. Furthermore mining releases coal mine methane, a greenhouse gas which is said to be 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Coal dust inhalation causes black lung disease among miners and those who live nearby, and mine accidents kill thousands every year. Coal mining displaces whole communities, forced off their land by expanding mines, coal fires, subsidence and contaminated water supplies.
The economic activity associated with coal mining may be seen as a blessing especially for those engaged in the activity but the long term impacts are many affecting all forms of life including plants and animals. The urgent need is for long term perspectives and planning associated with coal mining so that the paramount issues related to coal mining can be addressed. Without hardly any scientific knowledge engaged in the process of coal mining it is going to create a whole lot of environmental hazards and various other problems in the long run. Besides the damage caused to flora and fauna, the environment and barren lands unsuitable for agriculture, it will be human habitation and settlement which will be badly affected. What follows then will see an increased rate of urbanization and economic dependency.
(Dr. Asangba Tzüdir is an Editor with heritage publishing house. He writes a weekly guest editorial for the Morung Express. Views and comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
