Unit 2 Natural Resources PDF

**Natural Resources** **Natural resources-** occur naturally within [environments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment) that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a [natural](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature) form. Any components of the natural environment that can be utilized...

**Natural Resources** **Natural resources-** occur naturally within [environments](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment) that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a [natural](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature) form. Any components of the natural environment that can be utilized by human beings for their benefit are termed as natural resource. The natural resource can be a substance, an energy unit or a natural process or phenomena e.g. water, air, soil, minerals, coal, forests, crops, and wildlife are all examples of natural resources. Natural resources are derived from the environment. Some of them are essential for our survival while most are used for satisfying our wants. There are various methods of categorizing natural resources, these include source of origin, stage of development, and by their renewability, these classifications are described below- 1. **On the basis of origin** - - 2\. **On the basis of development** - - - - 1. Energy resources 2. Forest resources 3. Water resources 4. Land resources 5. Mineral resources 6. Food resources **Energy resources** **It is the physical ability to do work. Joule (J) is the unit of energy in SI system which is defined when a force of one Newton moves through one metre. Energy per unit time is called 'power'. The unit is watt (W) which is defined as one joule per second. Broadly energy is used for the following purposes:** 1. **Cooking, heating, lighting** 2. **Transporting people and goods** 3. **Manufacturing consumer goods** **Energy Resources:** Sources from which energy can be obtained to provide heat, light, and power. Sources of energy have evolved from human and animal power to fossil fuels, uranium, water power, wind, and the Sun. The principal fossil fuels are coal, lignite, peat, petroleum, and natural gas. Energy consumption is an index of advancement of a country. It can be classified as renewable/ non-renewable, conventional/ non-conventional, traditional/ alternative. i. Renewable/ Non-renewable **Renewable Energy**- energy sources which are in-exhaustive and can be regenerated within a given span of time such as [sunlight](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunlight), [wind](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind), [rain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain), [tides](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_energy), and [geothermal heat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_energy). Renewable energy is an alternative to fossil fuels and therefore commonly called alternative energy**.** **Non-renewable Energy-** Energy sources which are exhaustible and cannot be regenerated within a given span of time such as fossil fuel like coal, petroleum, minerals etc. ii. **Conventional/ Non-conventional** **Conventional Sources of Energy** \(i) The sources of energy which have been in use for a long time, e.g., coal, petroleum, natural gas and water power. \(ii) They are exhaustible except water. \(iii) They cause pollution when used, as they emit smoke and ash. \(iv) They are very expensive to be maintained, stored and transmitted as they are carried over long distance through transmission grid and lines. **Non-Conventional Sources of Energy** - The resources which are yet in the process of development over the past few years. It includes solar, wind, tidal, biogas, and biomass, geothermal. - They are inexhaustible. - They are generally pollution free. - Less expensive due to local use and easy to maintain. iii. **Traditional/ Alternative** **Traditional Sources of Energy** is the sources that people have been using for many years. These include coal, petroleum. 4. **Solar Energy**- is the sun's rays (solar radiation) that reach the earth. Solar energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as heat and electricity. It can be used in following ways: i. **Photovoltaic (PV) Energy**- is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. A solar cell or PV is the technology used to convert solar energy directly into electrical power. A PV cell is a nonmechanical device usually made from silicon alloy. Sunlight is composed of photons, i.e. particles of solar energy. These photons contain various amounts of energy corresponding to the different wavelengths of the solar spectrum. When photons strike a photovoltaic cell, they may be reflected, pass right through, or be absorbed. Only the absorbed photons provide energy to generate electricity. The photovoltaic cell is the building block of a photovoltaic system. One cell produces 1 to 3 watts only, which isn't enough power for most applications. To increase power output, cells are electrically connected into a packaged weather-tight module. Modules can be further connected to form an array. The number of modules connected together in an array depends on the amount of power output needed. The performance of a photovoltaic array is dependent upon sunlight. Photovoltaic modules are only about 20% efficient in converting sunlight. Advantages of photovoltaic system 1. Conversion from sunlight to electricity is direct, so that bulky mechanical generator systems are unnecessary. 2. PV arrays can be installed quickly and in any size required or allowed. 3. The environmental impact is minimal, requiring no water for system cooling and generating no by-products. ii. **Solar Thermal Power Plants**- uses the sun rays to heat a fluid, from which heat transfer system may be used to produce steam. The steam in turn converted into mechanical energy in a turbine and then into electricity from a generator coupled to the turbine. It works the same as thermal power plant except in place of combustion of coal; steam from the fluid which is heated through sunlight is used. iii. **Solar Thermal Heat-** is often used for heating swimming pools, heating water used in homes, and space heating of buildings. **Advantages of solar Energy:** i. It is free of cost. ii. Its supplies are unlimited. iii. It does not produce air or water pollution. **Disadvantages of Solar Energy:** i. It has indirect impacts on the environment. ii. Large solar thermal farms can harm the desert ecosystems if not managed properly. iii. The amount of sunlight that arrives at the earth's surface is not constant. It depends on the location, time of day, time of year and weather conditions. iv. Since sun doesn't deliver much energy to a specific place at a specific time, a large surface area is required to collect the energy at a useful rate. 5. **Wind Energy**: is the energy produced through wind. **Wind is air in motion**. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun. Wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity. Wind is a renewable source of energy. Wind energy is harnessed through wind mill. A windmill is a machine that collects the wind kinetic energy and converts the [energy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windpower) into rotational energy by means of vanes called [sails](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windmill_sail). Originally, windmills were developed for [milling grain](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grist_mill) for food production. An important use of it is to pump water, either for land drainage or to extract [groundwater](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwater). The operation speed of wind to produce power is 4-5 m/s, maximum power can be obtained when speed of wind is 15 m/s whereas at a speed of 25 m/s the wind farm has to shut down to reduce damage to wind mills. ### Advantages of Wind Energy 1\)  Wind Energy is an inexhaustible source of energy and is virtually a limitless resource.\ 2) Energy is generated without polluting environment.\ 3)  This source of energy has tremendous potential to generate energy on large scale.\ 4)  Like solar energy and hydropower, wind power taps a natural physical resource.\ 5)  Windmill generators **don't** emit any emissions that can lead to acid rain or greenhouse effect.\ 6)  Wind Energy can be used directly as mechanical energy.\ 7)  In remote areas, wind turbines can be used as great resource to generate energy.\ 8)  In combination with Solar Energy they can be used to provide reliable as well as steady supply of electricity.\ 9) Land around wind turbines can be used for other uses, e.g. Farming. ### Disadvantages of Wind Energy 1\)  Wind energy requires expensive storage during peak production time.\ 2)  It is unreliable energy source as winds are uncertain and unpredictable. \ 3)  There is visual and aesthetic impact on region.\ 4)  Requires large open areas for setting up wind farms.\ 5)  Noise pollution problem is usually associated with wind mills.\ 6)  Wind energy can be harnessed only in those areas where wind is strong enough and weather is windy for most parts of the year.\ 7)  Usually places, where wind power set-up is situated, are away from the places where demand of electricity is there. Transmission from such places increases cost of electricity.\ 8)  The average efficiency of wind turbine is very less as compared to fossil fuel power plants. We might require many wind turbines to produce similar impact.\ 9)  It can be a threat to wildlife. Birds do get killed or injured when they fly into turbines.\ 10)  Maintenance cost of wind turbines is high as they have mechanical parts which undergo wear and tear over the time.  6. **Hydropower Energy**- Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydroelectric power or hydropower. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1. 2. - It can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil. - Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces. Binary plants release essentially no emissions. - Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, 365 days a year. It\'s also relatively inexpensive; savings from direct use can be as much as 80 percent over fossil fuels. - Disposal of some geothermal fluids, which may contain low levels of toxic materials. - Although geothermal sites are capable of providing heat for many decades, eventually specific locations may cool down. - Sometimes hydrogen sulfide gas is released, a gas that smells like rotten egg at low concentrations. **Bio Energy** Plants capture solar energy by photosynthesis, incorporating carbon from the co2 of the air into their tissues and convert it into organic matter. The organic matter is known as biomass and is basically a form of solar energy. Bio energy is generated either by direct use of biomass or its conversion into gaseous/liquid fuels and includes biogas. Biogas is a sustainable source of energy by virtue of its production from vastly available natural organic wastes, simplicity of construction, operation and maintenance of the production units. Biomass defined as living matter or its residues, is a renewable source of energy. **Ocean energy** Tidal Energy, wave energy, OTEC **Nuclear Energy** Energy released during a nuclear reaction in accordance with the mass energy equation is called nuclear energy. **Forest resources-** forest are one of the most important natural resources on this earth. These forests not only produce innumerable material goods, but also provide several environmental services which are essential for life. Forest is derived from latin word 'foris' meaning 'out of door'. Forests are central to all human life because they provide a diverse range of resources: they store carbon, aid in regulating the planetary climate, purify water and mitigate natural hazards such as floods. Forests also contain roughly 90 percent of the world\'s terrestrial biodiversity.  India is one of the 12 mega biodiverse regions of the world. Total forest cover of India as by Forest Survey of India 2018 report is 24.39%. Indian forests types include tropical evergreens, tropical deciduous, swamps, mangroves, sub-tropical, montane, scrub, sub-alpine and alpine forests. These forests support a variety of ecosystems with diverse flora and fauna. - Only two seasons are - Presented i.e. rainy and dry. The length of daylight is 12 hours and varies little. - The average temperature is 20-25^o^C and varies little throughout the year. - Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with annual rainfall more than 200 cm. - Soil is nutrient poor and acidic. - Canopy is multilayered and continuous, allowing little light penetration. - Flora is highly diverse. In one square kilometer it may contain as many as 100 different tree species. Trees are 25-35 m tall. - More than half of tropical forests have already been destroyed. 2. **Temperate-** they occur in eastern North America, north eastern Asia and western and central Europe. - Well defined seasons with a distinct winter. - Temperature varies between -30^o^C to 30^o^C. - Precipitation is distributed evenly throughout the year and is between 75-150 cm annually. - Soil is fertile, enriched with decaying litter. - Canopy is moderately dense and allows light to penetrate. - Flora is characterised by 3-4 tree species per square kilometre. Trees are distinguished by broad leaves that are lost annually. - Only scattered remnants of original temperate forests remain. 3. **Boreal or Taiga-** It represent the largest terrestrial biome. Occurring between 50 and 60 degrees north latitudes. It is found in the broad belt of Eurasia and North America, two thirds in Siberia with the rest in Scandinavia, Alaska and Canada. - Temperatures are very low (-54^o^C to 21^o^C). - Precipitation is primarily in the form of snow, 40-100 cm annually. - Soil is thin, nutrient poor and acidic. - Canopy permits low light penetration. - Flora consists mostly of cold- tolerant evergreen conifers with needle like leaves such as pine, fur and spruce. iv. v. vi. 1. 2. 3. 1. **Soil erosion** 2. **Expansions of deserts** 3. **Decrease in rainfall** 4. **Loss of fertile land** 5. **Effect of climate** 6. **Lowering of water table** 7. **Loss of flora and fauna** 8. Environmental changes 9. Lack of fuel wood for tribal people 1. Degradation of forest 2. Loss of biodiversity 3. Sedimentation of irrigation systems 4. Soil erosion 5. Climatic Changes such as low precipitation 6. Permit shifting cultivators and fuel wood gatherers to gain access to logged areas and fell the remaining trees 7. Forest fragmentation 8. Exploitation of tribal people by the contractors 1. Degradation of lands 2. Loss of top soil due to deforestation 3. Pollution of surface and ground water resources 4. Lowering of ground water table 5. Air pollution due to release of green house gases and other toxic gases 6. Sediment production and discharge 7. Subsidence above and near mine areas can change local hydraulic gradients and create numerous ponds 8. Migration of tribal people from mining areas to other areas in search of land and food 9. Tribal people may be forced into a new way of life for which they are unprepared 1. Degradation of catchment area 2. Reservoir induced seismicity 3. Loss of flora and fauna including gene pool reserves due to submergence 4. Increased incidence of water borne diseases 5. Acute scarcity of fuel wood and other forest products for tribal people 6. Rehabilitation and resettlement of affected people - - - - - - - **Eutrophication** When aquatic plant growth is stimulated to produce excessive choking growth eutrophication occurs. The process involves a complex series of inter-related changes in the chemical and biological status of a water body mostly due to a depletion of the oxygen content caused by decay of organic matter resulting from a high level of primary productivity and typically caused by enhanced nutrient input. Sewage is an important source of organic materials in water bodies. Fertilizers and detergents containing Nitrogen and Phosphorous are also the major sources of nutrients. These nutrients greatly increase the productivity in aquatic environments and contribute to eutrophication. Algal blooms are an indication of eutrophication of a water body. A small part of the algal blooms are consumed by zooplanktons and other aquatic organisms like fishes and most of them stay and decay in the water depleting dissolved oxygen. Toxic gases like Hydrogen sulphide is generated. An unpleasant greenish slimy layer is formed on the surface of the water body. This result in the suffocation and eventually death of aquatic organisms. The water body emits bad odor. The anaerobic conditions (Lack of Oxygen) generate toxins in the algae, which can kill surface organisms like birds and animals. The water body cannot be used as a source of water supply nor used for any other activity like recreational use. **Acquifer-** is an underground layer of water bearing permeable rock from which ground water is extracted using water well. It is of two types: **Unconfined acquifer**- water seeps through the permeable layer (permeable rocks or soil) present above it. **Confined acquifer**- impermeable layer (impermeable rocks) exist above it; water seeps from farther away where the impermeable layer doesn't exist. **Rainwater Harvesting**- is the method of utilizing rainwater for domestic and agricultural use by capturing and storing the rainwater above the ground or recharge the underground for its later use. It is essential because- - Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on groundwater. - Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rainwater into the subsoil has decreased drastically and recharging of groundwater has diminished. Rainwater harvesting has the following objectives - To reduce run-off loss - To avoid flooding of roads - To meet the increasing demand of water - To raise the water table by recharging groundwater - To reduce groundwater contamination - To supplement groundwater supplies during lean season - Prevents soil erosion and flooding especially in urban areas The following methods are adopted for modern and traditional harvesting: - Storage of rainwater on surface for future use by constructing pits, dug-well, lagoons, trench or check-dams. - Recharge to groundwater uses pits, trenches, dug wells, recharge wells, recharge shafts, lateral shafts with borewells. **Components of Rainwater harvesting systems** have the following 5 basic components: 1. **Catchment**: the surface from which rainwater is collected for storage. This could be a rooftop, a paved flooring surface or a landscaped area. Catchment area is the area of that surface, usually calculated in square metres. 2. **Gutters and Downtake pipes**: lead the water from the catchment surface to the storage tank 3. **Filters and first flush devices**: remove grit, leaves and dirt that the rainwater may transport from the catchment, before the water enters the storage tank. When it rains after a long gap, the rooftops are usually very dirty and the rainwater also carries with it a lot of dissolved air pollutants. A first flush device diverts the water from the first rain so that it does not enter the storage tank. 4. **Storage tanks**: These can be above the ground or below the ground. 5. **Delivery systems**: Piping systems that convey the stored rainwater till the point of end-use.\ It is not recommended to use harvested rainwater for drinking, cooking and dishwashing unless water quality issues are verified and necessary treatment or purification systems installed. **Land Resources** **Land is finite and valuable resource on which we depend for our housing, food, fibre and fuel wood. Soil, especially the top soil is considered as renewable resources because it is continuously regenerated but the rate of regeneration is a slow process. It takes almost 200-1000 year for the formation of 2.5 cm soil, depending upon climate and soil type. So it the rate of soil degradation is faster than the soil regeneration it can become a non-renewable resource.** **Land Degradation: Due to increase human population there is increased pressure on land resource in term of food growth, land area for the housing purpose, Industrial growth. Processes such as soil erosion, water-logging, salinization and contamination of soil with industrial wastes like heavy metals, salt etc causes degradation of land.** **Soil Erosion: literal meaning is wearing away of soil. Soil erosion is the deterioration of soil by the physical movement of soil particles from a given site. Wind, water, ice, animals, and the use of tools by man are usually the main causes of soil erosion. 1/3 of world cropland is affected by the problem of soil erosion. Soil erosion is of two types:** a. **Geological erosion (normal erosion): gradual removal of top soil by natural processes which bring equilibrium between physical, biological and hydrological activities and maintain balance between erosion and renewal.** b. **Accelerated erosion: Natural erosion process got faster due to human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing and mining.** a. **Climatic agents: water and wind are two major agents responsible for soil erosion. Erosion caused by water are divided into following category based upon the severity of erosion:** 1. **Sheet erosion: when there is uniform removal of thin layer of soil from a large surface area, it is called sheet erosion. Sheet erosion occurs as runoff travels over the ground, picking up and transporting the particles dislodged by raindrop impacts. The process of sheet erosion is uniform, gradual and difficult to detect until it develops into rill erosion.** 2. **Rill erosion: when there is rainfall rapidly running water produces finger shaped grooves or rills over the area, it is called rill erosion. ** 3. **Gully erosion: When rainfall is more heavy rill can convert into deepen cavities or gullies which may be U or V shaped.** 4. **Slip erosion: Especially occurs in mountain areas, where due to heavy rainfall slope of mountain and hill area loose soil. It is also known as landslide defined as an outward and downward movement of the slope-forming material, composed of natural rocks, soil, artificial fills, etc.** 5. **Stream bank erosion: usually occurs during the peak discharge periods, when fast flowing river water cut the soil and makes caves in the river bank. This type of erosion is responsible for moving immense quantities of detritus, comprising boulders, shingles, sand and silt, depending upon the geology of the terrain.** 1. **Deforestation: The process of denuding and degradation of forested land initiates a desert producing cycles. If there is no vegetation to hold back surface run-off, water drains out quickly before it can soak into the soil to nourish the plant and replenish the ground water.** 2. **Overgrazing: Overgrazing areas are more under risk of desertification because it results into denude of the land area. The dry barren land becomes loose and more prone to soil erosion. The top fertile layer is also lost and thus plant growth is badly hampers in such soils.** 3. **Mining and quarrying: These activities results into loss of vegetation cover and denudation of extensive land area leading to desertification.** 1. **Don't waste water by keeping water taps running during brushing, shaving, washing and bathing.** 2. **Check water pipelines and taps for water leakage as a small pin shape hole can waste 640 liters of water in a month.** 3. **Install water shaving toilets that not use much water for flushing purposes (not more than 6 liters).** 4. **Install small system of rain water harvesting, which can be used for watering the plants and washing the vehicles.** 1. **Do not over-irrigate your agricultural land; provide proper drainage facility to reduce the salinity effect.** 2. **Grow different type of ornamental plants, herbs and trees in your garden.** 3. **Don't throw solid wastes like plastic or metal can on open land.** 4. **Promote sustainable agriculture by buying products produced by organic farming, don't waste food material.** 1. **Overpopulation in poor countries who have under consumption of natural resource.** 2. **Over consumption of resources by rich countries.** - **Food is a critical need for survival of living being and is required for growth, physical and mental ability and good health. Any substance containing nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats that can be ingested by a living organism and metabolised into energy and body tissue.** - **Different sources of food resource:** 1. **Plant food: It includes cereal grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, sugar, fats and oils. Among cereal grain rice, wheat and maize are the major grains. Rice and wheat are the staple food for the 4 billion people in the developing countries.** 2. **Animal food: The most preferred animal food by humans is mutton, beef, pork and poultry as well as their by-products (milk and eggs).** 3. **Fish and sea foods: It supports 70 million metric tons of high quality protein to the world diet.**  **Environmental problem associated with food resources: Environmental problem associated with food resources are associated with the production of food resources either from agriculture, cattle and poultry breeding and harvesting of fish and other aquatic products.** a. **Agricultural: Initially agricultural practice was less energy intensive with lower chemical inputs in form of fertilizers and pesticides. However with growing needs of food production agriculture become more energy intensive with more chemical inputs leading to degradation of water and land environment. Main problem associated with the modern agricultural are:** 1. **Monoculture: most of the high yielding variety (HYV) encourage monoculture i.e. use of same genotype over vast area, so if there is an attack of pathogen, large tract of agricultural crop is going to affected.** 2. **Fertilizer related problem: Application of fertilizer into agricultural land has variety of unwanted environmental effects such as:** - **Micronutrient imbalance: Most of the applied fertilizer have micronutrient (N,P,K), which promote the growth of crop however during crop growth it also required micronutrient such as zinc which is not replenish resulting into the imbalance of soil nutrient.** - **Nitrate pollution: nitrogen applied in the agricultural field find its ways to ground water and surface water in the form of nitrate which is a water pollutant. High concentration of nitrate results into methaemoglobinemia (Blue baby syndrome).** - **Eutrophication of the inland and coastal ecosystem: Excessive supply of phosphate and nitrate from the agricultural land to water bodies result into the favorable growth of non-siliceous alga which are unpalatable resulting into their bloom which eventually consume all the oxygen present in the water bodies resulting into death of other aquatic species and destruction of whole ecosystem.** - **Pest resistance and origin of new pest variety: After the time course resistance variety of pest started to arrive which make the application of pesticides unfruitful.** - **Death of non-target organisms: some of the insecticides are poisonous and not only kill the target pest but also other non-target species which are useful.** - **Biological magnification: some of the applied pesticides are non-biodegraded and keep on accumulating in the food chain a process known as biological magnification. It create problem for the species which are present on the higher level of food cahin.** **b) Livestock farming: Livestock provide food resource in form of meat, milk and eggs. However livestock farming also create problem such as:** - **Overgrazing: livestock population graze over the community land, degraded forest land for their food supply which resulted into increase risk of soil erosion, land degradation and loss of useful species.** - **Emission of greenhouse gases: Livestock sector is responsible for 9% of CO~2~, 65% of N~2~0 and 37% of methane production due to human induced activity.** - **Water pollution: waste emerging out of cattle farm are rich in organic waste, nitrogen and phosphate resulted into increase risk of eutrophication of inland water bodies.** 1. **Building Materials: sand, gravel, stone, cement, steel, aluminum, asphalt, glass.** **Type of Mineral resources:** 1. **Non- metallic minerals: e.g. graphite, diamond, quartz, feldspar** 2. **Metallic minerals: bauxite, laterite, haematite etc.** 3. **Fossil fuels (also known as mineral fuels): the organic mineral substances that can be utilized as fuels, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.** 1. **Prospecting: This is done for the searching of minerals. The searching methods includes direct analysis of minerals outcrops combined with the aerial photography, geologic maps, and structural assessment of an area. In case of indirect analysis use of geophysical methods such as gravitational, seismic, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radiometric variables of the earth.** 2. **Exploration: determines as accurately as possible the size and value of a mineral deposit, utilizing techniques similar to but more refined than those used in prospecting.** 3. **Development: It involves work of preparing access to the deposit so that the minerals can be extracted. This process involves acquiring water and mineral rights, buying surface lands, arranging for financing, and preparing permit applications and an environmental impact statement (EIS).** 4. **Exploitation: It involves actual extraction of minerals from the mines.** 5. **Reclamation: the process of closing a mine and recontouring, revegetating, and restoring the water and land values.** 1. **Surface mining: Open pit or open cast mining is usually employed to exploit a near-surface deposit ore.. It often necessitates a large capital investment but generally results in high productivity, low operating cost, and good safety conditions.** 2. **Sub-surface mining: mainly involves unsupported, supported, and caving type of mine used for mining deep minerals deposits. It is most destructive, dangerous and expensive including risks of occupational hazards and accidents.** 1. **Aqueous solutions from cyaniding.** 2. **Slurries of finely ground particles that have undergone one or more types of physical or chemical treatment, and which frequently contain one or more industrial additives that have participated in the conversion process (xanthates, salts, starch, etc.). These tailings are normally dumped in a sort of lagoon or settling basin within an embankment at the exit of the mill.** 3. **Atmospheric releases from sulphide roasting including sulfur dioxide gas which is a agent for acid rain.** a. **Energy generating minerals** b. **Other commercial used minerals** 1. **Devegetation and defacing of landscape: Top soil along with vegetation has to be removed for reaching to the mineral resource, this result into removal of forest and vegetation present in the area also results into loss of biodiversity.** 2. **Subsidence of land: mainly related to the underground mining often leading to destruction of property and displacement of local habitants.** 3. **Watershed disturbance: Mining activities disturbs the natural hydrological process and pollute the ground water due to leaching of heavy metals and acids.** 4. **Acid-mine drainage: Acid mine drainage is most serious problem associated with the mining sectors. This is normally associated with the metal ore mines and coal mines having high concentration of sulphides in ores which react with air and water to produce acidity.** 5. **Air Pollution: Mining activity is also a major source of SPM, some of the coal mines release methane through cracks and opening. Mine fire also results into formation of NOx and SOx and some secondary pollutant such as ozone.** 6. **Noise pollution: Mining activity involves lot of heavy machinery related to extraction and transportation of mineral ores resulting into increase noise level in the mining zones.** 7. **Displacement of tribal and local population: Mining activity in forested and hilly region mostly resulted into the displacement of tribal and marginalized population resulted into their rehabilitation issue.** 8. **Occupational hazards: Mining activity especially underground mining is associated with greater risk for the worker due to occurring of mine accidents involving collapse of mine wall, flooding of mines or mine blast associated with methane. Beside accidents longs working in the mine environment results into diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, black lung disease etc.**