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1 IMPACT OF OPEN CAST COAL MINING ON MEDICINAL PLANTS - A CASE STUDY OF JHARIA COALFIELDS MUKESH TIWARY* & J. N. SINGH** *Research Scholar, R.S.P. College Jharia (Under V.B.U. Hazaribag) mukeshtwri78@gmail.com ** Dept. of Botany, R. S. P College, Jharia jai121258@gmail.com KEY WORDS: Coal mining, Overburden, Biodiversity, Environment, Species Received on: Accepted on: *Corresponding Author ABSTRACT Impact of coal mining on phytodiversity is created by human being to enhance the standards of living. The mining activity in the Jharia coalfields provides raw materials in the form of crusher, gravels and stones etc for construction of roads and other infrastructure. Due to coal mining, number of natural and semi natural habitats is destroyed. Mining necessitates full uncovering of surface over mineral deposits due to which overlying vegetation and soil are completely destroyed. Open cast mining of coal deposits involves removal of overlying soil rock debris. This debris is heaped in the form of dumps and is called over burden. Lack of vegetation cover on such dumps often leads to acute problem of soil erosion and environmental pollution. It puts impact on Phytodiversity and physiographic features of concerned region. In this context the exploration and preservation of natural vegetation assumes great importance. The recognition of value of medicinal plants and the needs to preserve them in situ has been gaining popularity. It is a welcome sign that the whole world appears to be in favour of indigenous system of medicine. Open cast coal mining has resulted in almost complete destruction of medicinally important plants growing previously in the locality. INTRODUCTION Open cast mining of coal deposits involves removal of overlying soil and rock debris. This debris is heaped in the form of dumps and is called mine spoil. These dumps change the natural land topography and affect the drainage system of the mining area. Due to the adverse physico-chemical and biological properties of mine spoil, natural succession of plant species on these dumps is often prevented (Shaojun 2012). Lack of vegetation cover on such dumps often leads to acute problem of soil erosion and environmental pollution (Monio and Iglesias 2004). Therefore, development of vegetation on the dumps is essential for the conservation of 109

2 biodiversity and stable environment in the herbal medicines but due to open cast mining coalfields area. There are several studies on in recent past have led to almost complete different innovative approaches for vegetation destruction of medicinal flora of the development on coal mine spoil dumps. concerned locality. Almost all plants found on these planets are of MATERIALS AND METHODS medicinal value. About 15 hundreds medicinal Jharia Coalfields are situated in Jharia Block herb is well documented. The drugs prepared which is six kilometer north to the head from medicinal plants have no side effects. So quarter of Dhanbad District in the state of in modern days they are preferred over Jharkhand, India. The area experiences a allopathic medicines. seasonal tropical dry climates with three Dhanbad district of Jharkhand has about 12.7 distinct season, Viz Summer (March to June), % forest area and the rest in open land that Rainy (July to October) and winter abounds in medicinal plants. In Jharia coal (November to February). fields also rural people depend primarily on Annual average rainfall of the area is 1260 mm of which 80% falls during the rainy season. The mean air temperature varies from 15 Degree (December) to 27 Degree (May). 110

3 The present study is aimed on the survey of Alternanthera sessilis, Tephrosia purpurea kuiya open cast project considering 10 (Fig. 1 5). These plants were identified ex commonly used medicinal plants by the local situ with the help of flora/keys (Hains flora). people. The survey was done during They were pressed in herbarium presses, dried conducive season that is early September to and preserved for future work as well as the end of December. In the survey 10 plants identification. Survey of these plants was done have been taken into account for study viz particularly in non coal bearing areas adjacent Ocimum basilicum, Trianthema to open cast project of kuiya (study area, Fig. portulacastrum, Andrographis paniculata, 6) to observe the impact of mining (open cast) Boerhaavia diffusa, Cassia tora, Euphorbia on the overall growth as well as frequency of hirta, Blumea lacera, Sida rhombifolia, these plants. 111

4 Fig. 1: Blumea lacera Fig. 2: Cassia tora Fig. 3: Boerhaavia diffusa Fig. 4: Tephrosia purpurea Fig. 5: Sida rhombifolia Fig. 6: Study Area (Kuiya open cast project) 112

5 Data Generation Table 1: The frequency of selected plants species determined by quadrate method on random basis in coal bearing area (Kuiya open cast project) Sl. no Name of the plant species No. of individual in each quadrate Total no. of indivi -dual No. of quadrate in which species Occurred Total no. of quadrate Frequency % Ocimum * 2 3 * * 2 4 * * * % basilicum 2 Trianthema 1 * * * * * * * * * % portulacastrum 3 Andrographis * * * * * * * * * * Nil Nil 10 Nil paniculata 4 Boerhaavia * * * * 3 * * * * * % diffusa 5 Cassia tora 2 3 * * 5 * * * * % 6 Euphorbia * 2 * 1 * * * 2 * * % hirta 7 Blumea lacera 2 * * * * * * * * * % 8 Sida 5 * * 2 * * 4 * * % rhombifolia 9 Alternanthera * * 2 * * 1 * * 3 * % sessilis 10 Tephrosia purpurea * * * * 1 * * * * % Table 2: The frequency of selected plants species determined by quadrate method on random basis non coal bearing area Sl. no Name of the plant species 1 Ocimum basilicum 2 Trianthema portulacastrum 3 Andrographis paniculata No. of individual in each quadrate Total no. of individual Total no. of quadra -te No. of quadrate in which species occured Frequency % * * % 3 * 3 * 2 2 * 3 * % * * * * * 2 1 * * % 113

6 4 Boerhaavia * 2 3 * 3 * 4 5 * % diffusa 5 Cassia tora * * % 6 Euphorbia * * % hirta 7 Blumea lacera * 1 3 * * * % 8 Sida * % rhombifolia 9 Alternanthera * * * % sessilis 10 Tephrosia * 3 * 2 2 * % purpurea RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In the non coal bearing area during September to December, the frequency of growth pattern and morphological aspects like height, length, leaf & flower size of selected plants were in a normal condition. Non Coal Bearing Area Non Coal Bearing Area Ocimum basilicum Trianthema portulacastrum Andrographis paniculata Boerhaavia diffusa Cassia tora Euphorbia hirta Blumea lacera Sida rhombifolia Alternanthera sessilis Taphrosia purpurea Fig. 7: Graph showing the frequency of selected plants in Non coal bearing area (September to December) In the coal bearing area during September to December the selected plants showed stunted growth as well as poor morphological aspects like height, length and leaf & flower size. Analysis of vegetation on coal mine spoil dumps has been compared with vegetation of normal area vegetation along with a few growth pattern parameters and it has been observed that species frequency and growth pattern are affected on the mine spoils due to inhospitable or hostile conditions of the soil and climate (Kurniawan 2004). Capacity of 114

7 some plant species to tolerate drought, low numbers of plant species were not noticed on soil nutrients and climatic stresses (Helm 3-6 year old dumps due to sterility of the top 1995, Skeel & Gibson) may contribute to their soil. success in colonizing the mine spoil. The Coal Bearing Area Coal Bearing Area Ocimum basilicum Trianthema portulacastrum Andrographis paniculata Boerhaavia diffusa Cassia tora Euphorbia hirta Blumea lacera Sida rhombifolia Alternanthera sessilis Taphrosia purpurea Fig. 8: Graph showing the frequency of selected plants in coal bearing area (September to December) The results obtained for frequency as well as growth pattern are summarized in the table (1&2) & graph (Fig. 7&8). There is a decline in the frequency of plant species under study. This decline in frequency is related to the inhospitable condition of soil and its moisture (Claudio 2011). The substratum/soil has particles of irregular shapes and sizes leading to rapid percolation of water resulting in deficiency of moisture. Similarly, the soil in mined area specially on overburden, in the study area is deficient in nutrients which are responsible for retardation in overall growth of plant species (Jha and Singh 1991, 1993). However, the conservative characters are affected qualitatively but not quantitavely. CONCLUSION Coal mining is aimed at large scale production of fossil fuel in order to meet the requirements of nation and side by side it gives jobs to millions of people. But during course of study it was observed that un-sustained coal mining has resulted into almost complete denudation of the vegetation cover of study site due to removal of top soil and creation of over burden. It has also been observed that many of the plant species are disappearing due to mining activity in un-sustained manner, so it 115

8 is suggested that mining especially open cast, Jha A K and Singh J S Spoil should be done scientifically in order to characteristics and vegetation conserve plant diversity of medicinal plants in development of an age series of mine addition to the rest of the flora. Conservation spoils in a dry tropical environment. of useful medicinal plants will be beneficial Vegetatio 97: for the nearby dwellings. Stress should be Jha A K and Singh J S Rehabilitation of given for restoration of vegetation in the mine Ltd., Bhubaneswar, India. mined area for conservation of phytodiversity. Kurniawan S How do plants affect the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS temperature? A Project on California Sincere thanks to the entire civilians living in State Science Fair, J 0915 B.C.C.L area of Jharia at the study site to Monio M and Iglesias DA Plants and behave in a cooperative manner and providing the environment, ESPERE Climate all types of assistances and valuable Encyclopaedia, pp information as needed. Shaojun W International Conferences REFERENCES on Computer Distributed Control and Claudio L Env Health Pers J, 119 Intelligent Environmental (10): Monitoring, pp