GEO-ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OF DIMENSIONAL STONE QUARRIES IN KARNATAKA STATE - ON SUSTAINABLE LINES

摘要

Karnataka State is aptly called "Chinnada nadu", "Srigandada nadu" and "Dimensional stone nadu". Karnataka state is endowed with diversified reserves of dimensional stones like "Imperial red" or "Ilkal red", "Multi-coloured paradise", "Sira grey", "Black granite" and "Hassan green" have earned a name, fame and perpetual identity in the international market sector. Karnataka is a leading exporter of dimensional stones to countries like USA, Canada, Vietnam, Italy, Japan, UK, Korea and Germany. Innumerable dimensional stone quarries are in active operation all over the state. The granites are being quarried for building stone, ornamental stone, dimensional stone, gelly, railway lining, aggregates. The production of blocks in various sizes, weight is a special feature of granite mining industry, All over Karnataka, quarries of different types of granites, viz. pink granites, pink porphyritic granites, felsites, grey granites, ultra-potassic rocks, Peninsular gneisses, dolerites, gabbros, basalts, limestones and quartzites, Even today, the oldest methods of quarrying are commonly in practice in most of the quarries in the State. In a few quarries, like Ilkal, Kanakapura, Sira, Raichur, Mysore, etc., mechanized mining is going on. Blasting, drilling, flame cutting using it burner techniques are being employed in the State. Dimensional stone quarrying the environmental problems are also inevitable. Unplanned granite mining activity may destroy the agricultural fields which reduce the fertility productivity of the pedosphere and resulted in the destruction of phytosphere, pollution of atmospheric air, pollution of surface and subsurface water regime, noise pollution, subsidence of ground vibration, depletion of genetic resources, destruction of many critical ecosystems, certain geomedical problems like "silicosis" by the inhalation of dust, groundwater pollution, causing "fluorosis" (around Ilkal, Pavagada, Badami, Bagepalli), stagnant water in the pits causing 'Malaria", "Elephantosis", socio-economic problems like migration of birds and wild life due to sand pollution, etc., generation of rejects from hills. Certain probable and possible remedial measures were suggested. Fire cutting/laser cutting methods to minimize the wastes. Silicosis problem can be minimized by effective dust control measures. By watering on the roads and dust generated areas. Fluorosis can be mitigated by using Nalgonda technique, activated charcoal method and dissolution method. The mine dumps/rejects can be fruitfully utilized for road metal, railway track lining, powder for brick manufacture, local building stones. The abandoned pits can be filled with soil and utilized for agriculture, forestry, intensive afforestation methods to be employed around mining belt to minimize the dust pollution. The future prosperity and well being of Karnataka depends on how best we utilize the dimensional stone quarrying, expo/ting, utilizing them on sustainable lines.