The primary goal of this study was to prepare an inventory of Pit lakes in Raniganj Coal Field (RCF), West Bengal, India along with status of water quality in these pit lakes for promoting sustainable utilisation of the Pitlake resources for socioeconomic development of the local stake holders in due course of time. A comprehensive water quality and biological monitoring programme is strongly recommended for these pit lakes in order to be able to predict and manage risks and best utilise the opportunities provided by the pit lakes for the RCF region economy.
Table of Contents
PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF PLATES
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
Research Objectives and Scope
The primary objective of this study is to create a comprehensive inventory of pit lakes within the Raniganj Coal Field (RCF) region in West Bengal, India, and to assess their water quality status to promote sustainable resource utilization. By documenting morphometric features and analyzing physicochemical parameters, the research aims to provide a scientific foundation for managing these ecosystems for socioeconomic development, such as aquaculture and ecotourism.
- Documentation and inventory of 30 pit lakes across various coal mine areas.
- Morphometric analysis including elevation, surface area, length, and width.
- Comprehensive physicochemical water quality monitoring over a three-year period.
- Statistical modeling (PCA and AHC) to identify water quality variations and site relationships.
- Evaluation of potential socioeconomic benefits and sustainable land-use opportunities.
Extract from the Book
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Pit lakes differ physically from natural lakes in having markedly higher relative depths (Castro and Moore, 2000). During active mining, surface water is diverted around open pits, and perimeter and/or in- pit dewatering pumps are used to control groundwater inflow and direct rainfall. Pit lakes form when the pumps are shut off and post mining drainage of surface/groundwater and precipitation begin to accumulate inside the inactive pit. Depending on the size and availability of suitable fill, backfilling open pits can be impractical and prohibitively expensive. In such cases, a pit lake forms and the mine operators are saddled with ensuring that it does not pose environmental and safety risks.
Coal mining started in the Raniganj Coalfield (RCF) area in 1774 during the British East India period. The RCF covers an area of 1530 sq km, containing about 1306 sq. km of coal- bearing land. All surface mining process creates drastic changes in the landscape. They result in the formation of large overburden dumps, huge voids and pit lake ecosystems in the mining sites. Pit lakes can form in open cut mining pits, which extend below the groundwater table. Once dewatering ceases, the groundwater, surface water and direct rainfall contribute to the formation of a pit lake. Coal mining in RCF has produced pit lakes that range in area from <1 to 70 ha surface area, <10 to 70 m depth, 5-80 years in age, water quality and the extent of remediation from none to extensive.
Chapter Summaries
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION: This chapter introduces the formation process of pit lakes resulting from coal mining and highlights the necessity of managing these aquatic habitats for environmental safety and resource potential.
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE: This section provides a foundation of existing global and national knowledge regarding pit lake limnology, hydrologic conditions, and the geochemical factors affecting water quality.
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the field survey techniques, sampling protocols, and the multivariate statistical methods (PCA and AHC) used to analyze the morphometric and chemical data of the pit lakes.
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This chapter presents the data on the 30 identified pit lakes, discussing their physical characteristics and the physicochemical status of water samples, supported by statistical analysis and dendrograms.
Keywords
Raniganj Coal Field, Pit lakes, Coal mining, Water quality, Morphometric analysis, Limnology, Socioeconomic development, Aquaculture, Physicochemical parameters, Multivariate statistics, PCA, AHC, Ecosystem, Environmental protection, Sustainable utilization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this study?
The study focuses on the inventory and water quality assessment of pit lakes found in the Raniganj Coal Field (RCF) region of West Bengal, India.
What are the central themes of this research?
The core themes include the formation of mining-induced pit lakes, the evaluation of their physical and chemical water properties, and their potential for sustainable future use.
What is the primary goal of the research?
The primary goal is to establish a comprehensive database of pit lakes in the RCF region to facilitate better management, risk prediction, and socioeconomic development for local stakeholders.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The researchers utilized structured field surveys, morphometric measurements via GPS, standard laboratory chemical analysis (following APHA 2005), and multivariate statistical techniques like Correlation Analysis, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster (AHC) analysis.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The work covers a detailed review of global literature on pit lakes, the specific methodology used for survey and water testing, and a comprehensive discussion of results derived from the analysis of 30 different pit lakes.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
Key terms include Raniganj Coal Field, Pit lakes, water quality, limnology, morphometric analysis, sustainable utilization, and socioeconomic development.
How were the pit lakes categorized in this study?
The pit lakes were categorized based on their surface area into three groups: large, medium, and small, allowing for a better demographic understanding of the RCF pit lake landscape.
What does the study conclude regarding the future use of these pit lakes?
The study concludes that many of these pit lakes represent valuable resources that can be potentially utilized for eco-developmental practices, including aquaculture, agriculture, and ecotourism.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Debnath Palit (Autor:in), Debalina Kar (Autor:in), Aparajita Mukherjee (Autor:in), Santanu Gupta (Autor:in), 2014, Pitlakes of Raniganj Coal Field, W.B, India. Inventory and Water Quality Status, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/270503
