Assessment of air pollution indices in opencast coal mining complex--an Indian case study.

ABSTRACT

India is world's third largest coal-producing country and to meet the future energy demand it will have to produce coal at a faster rate. The coal by opencast mining has been about 80% of the total production. This paper focuses on some of the key air pollution problems arising from increased use of opencast mining. It examines the utility of an Air Pollution Index (API) for tackling air pollution problems. A fact-finding survey was conducted to evaluate the status of air pollution due to opencast coal mining in Jharia Coalfield of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. The approach for the selection of air monitoring stations, its monitoring programme, data analysis and results are discussed. The Oak Ridge Air Quality Index (ORAQI) was used to evaluate the relative ranking of overall air quality different locations within the mining complex. The paper recommends the use of API data rather than individual air pollution level data when attempting to develop effective air pollution control strategies for mining areas.