The reasons and repercussions of illegal mining in India is presented lucidly in this presentation.

1. ILLEGAL MINING IN INDIA
Abhishek C. Patil

3. What is mining?
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or
other geological materials from the earth, from an
ore body, lode, vein, (coal) seam or reef, which
forms the mineralized horizon and package of
economic interest to the miner.
India has some 2,600 active mines.
India's metal and mining industry was estimated to
be $106.4bn (£68.5bn) in 2010.

4. The Darya-i-Noor diamond from the Iranian Crown Jewels,
originally from the mines of Golconda, Andhra Pradesh.

5. Where India stands in mining?
Kohinoor Diamond, world’s costliest and the
beautiful Diamond till date, was excavated 200
years back from the Golconda mines.
Leading producer of mica blocks, approximately
60% of the net mica production of the world.
Second largest chromite and barytes producer in
the world in 2008.

6. Third in production of coal and lignite.
Fourth largest in coal reserves.
Fourth largest iron ore producer.
Fifth largest bauxite, crude steel and manganese
ore producer.
Seventh in manganese ore.
Eighth position in aluminum.
Twelve percent of the world’s known and
economically available thorium.

7. Major mining states
Orissa
Jharkhand
Chattisgarh
Karnataka
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Tamil nadu
Madhya Pradesh
West Bengal
Goa
Rajasthan

8. Contribution to economy
“The contribution of mining to India’s GDP has
been stagnant at 1.2% over the past one decade,
whereas contribution of the sector is 6% in Chile,
5.9% in Australia, 5.3% in South Africa and 2.9% in
Chile.”
In the year 2010-2011 mineral worth Rs 2,00,000
crore was produced in India.
The Indian government has fixed its sights on a 9
per cent rate of economic growth with mining.

9. Illegal mining
Illegal mining is the most brazen criminality that
involves the extraction of minerals from land, that a
mine operator has no legal right to work on.
The reason for this being, stupendous increase in
the global prices for minerals such as iron,
manganese, coal etc.

10. Major areas subject to illegal
mining
Bellary in Karnataka
Jahria in Jharkhand
Aravalli ranges – Western ghats
Alwar district in Rajasthan
Goa
Angul district in Orissa
Raniganj in West Bengal
Morena district in Madhya Pradesh

11. Underpayment of royalties to state
There is a huge difference in the market price of
the ore and the royalty specified by the government
as well as faulty measurement mechanisms of
amount of ore extracted.
It was found that 35 lakh (3.5 Million) tonnes of ore
were illegally exported without paying a rupee of
royalty to the exchequer, resulting in a loss of about
Rs. 16,085 crores in Bellary.
As per the central empowered committee (CEC) on
illegal mining the loss to the exchequer is termed
as "huge and enormous" and the illegal export of
the huge consignment as "the rarest of rare" in the
annals of the country.

12. Repercussions of extensive mining
Workers affecting from diseases
Eg: Silicosis, tuberculosis and asbestosis.
Affects ecological balance due to opencast mining,
instead of underground mining.
Disappearance of animals like Sloth bear in bellary
region.
Reduction in growth of medicinal plants.
Affects monsoon.
Adversely affects agricultural activity.

13. Due to extensive underground mining, it results in
coal fires
Eg: Jahria (Jharkhand) is a victim of coal fires.
Emission of green house gases due to coal fires.
Soil erosion near river banks.
If the mining sites are near bodies of water,
chemicals disposed can also poison the water and
the fish, it can also destroy beautiful coral reefs.
Emergence of mining mafia.

14. Fertile land can also be affected, land can become
very hard and dry, because of the chemicals as
well.
Also, if you build the mines on forest lands, the
habitat of countless land species may be destroyed
and those species may die.

15. Illegal mining and stone crushing in the
Ganges river bed
Illegal mining in the Ganges river bed for stones
and sand for construction work has been a long
problem in Haridwar district, Uttarakhand. This is
despite the fact that quarrying has been banned in
Kumbh Mela area zone covering 140 square km
area in Haridwar. On june 14, Swami Nigamanada,
a 34-year old monk who was fasting since
February 19, 2011 against illegal mining and stone
crushing along the Ganges near Haridwar, died at
the Himalayan hospital in Jollygrant in Dehradun,
after alleged poisoning by stone-crushing mafia.

16. Mining mafia
Amit Jethava, an RTI and environment
activist in Junagadh had filed a PIL before
the Gujarat high court against the
unprecedented illegal mining in the Geer
lion sanctuary and forest area. In a few
days after filing the PIL, Jethava was shot
dead by anonymous assailants.
In November 2011, a social activist, sister
Valsa, was murdered in Pakur district of
Jharkhand and the finger of suspicion was
pointed at the powerful coal mafia.

17. Mahendra Singh (46), a head constable posted at
Sagarpara police outpost, was crushed by a truck
which came to Dholpur carrying illegally-mined
gravel from Morena (MP) on Tuesday.
A young IPS officer of the 2009 batch, Narendra
Kumar, was brutally crushed to death under a
stone-laden tractor trolley belonging to the illegal
mining mafia.

18. Contempt of Court
In Bellary district of Karnataka despite the stay
order on exporting the iron ore, 35 lakh tones of
iron ore was exported to other countries.
The Supreme Court observing the extent of illegal
mining held that "If the state machinery were
working properly without turning a blind eye, all this
would not have happened. See the magnitude,"

19. Reasons:
Greed

20. Political Clout

21. Irresponsible government

22. Because…..
The former Union minister for state of mines, admits
that once the mining leases are allotted, “the
government had little stake or knowledge about
what was happening on the ground.”
The ministry of mining and the ministry of
environment & forests (MoEF) have received over
20,000 cases of illegal mining in 2011.

23. S.R. Hiremath
Founder, Samaja Parivarthana Samudaya (NGO) in Dharwad,
Karnataka in 1984. who is fighting against illegal mining in Karnataka
in Supreme Court.

24. He says:
“I came back here from the US
many years ago, so that can take
up various issues and lead a
responsible life. The fight has been
tough; the path has been very hard,
but yes I am satisfied today
although there is much work
remaining”.

25. Heights……

26. Recommendations
To make mining a public enterprise
and not private.
To ban mining in forest areas.
To have strict measures in issuing
licenses to carry out mining.
To supervise regularly the mining
activities.
To have stringent laws against those
violating norms.

27. Until the last drop of water evaporates..

28. Until the last tree is cut down..

29. Until the last molecule of oxygen
disappears..
Till then……

30. Man, will not realize that money cannot
be eaten..

31. Bibliography
http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/SC-
shocked-over-magnitude-of-illegal-mining/Article1-
918289.aspx
http://mines.nic.in/writereaddata%5CContentlinks%5C8b8068
968b7542b0a1ebf77c9862c654.pdf
http://mining.about.com/od/OperationsManagement/a/What-
Is-Illegal-Mining.htm
http://www.miningweekly.com/article/india-introduces-
measures-to-curb-illegal-mining-2011-05-23