Crumbling hills

Subject: Geography

Section: Places in news

Mineral resources in Meghalaya:

Meghalaya, a state in the northeast region of India, is bound to the south by the Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh and Sylhet, to the west by the Bangladeshi division of Rangpur, and to the north and east by India’s State of Assam.
Meghalaya has an abundance of coal and limestone.
Other minerals found in Meghalaya- uranium, granite, kaolin, clay and glass sand.
About 9% of the country’s total limestone reserves are distributed across the State.
Limestone mining is carried out by open cast method both at large– and small-scale
Used chiefly for manufacturing products such as cement, lime and edible lime and exported to Bangladesh.

Mineral distribution across Meghalaya:

Coal- East and South Garo Hills, East and West Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills district.
Limestone- Jaintia Hills in the East, Garo Hills in the West, Cherrapunjee, Mawlong, Ichamati, Shella, and Komorrah in the East Khasi Hills district.
Uranium: Domiasiat and Porkut-Nongjri around Wahkynshi area in the West Khasi Hills District
Granite: East Khasi Hills, West Khasi hills and East Garo hill district.
Kaolin (China clay): Mawphlang, Smit and Laitlyngkot in the East Khasi Hills District; Thandlaskein, Shangpung, Mulieh and Mynsngat in the Jaintia Hills District; and Darugiri in the East Garo Hills District.
Glass sand: Laitryngew, Umstew and Kreit in the East Khasi Hills and Tura in the West Garo Hills
Other minerals:
- Quartz occurs almost in all districts in the Northern part of the State.
- Feldspar and iron ore are reported in the Ri-Bhoi and West Khasi Hills Districts; and
- Bauxite and rock phosphate are found in the Jaintia Hills District.

Challenges in mining in Meghalaya:

Uncontrolled coal mining and illegal limestone mining
Roadside dumping of coal is a major source of pollution
Rat hole mining (banned by NGT in 2014)
Environmental implications- loss of forest cover, pollution of water, soil and air, depletion of flora and fauna, reduction in biodiversity, erosion of soil and instability of rock masses, changes in landscape and degradation of arable land.