Terms of Reference for Environmental Impact Assessment of Mining of Minerals Objectives Terms of Reference (TOR) for preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan for “Mining of Minerals” as per the EIA Notification, 2006 has been devised to improve the quality of the reports and facilitate decision-making transparent and easy. TOR will help the project proponents and consultants to prepare report with relevant project specific data and easily interpretable information. TOR for mining of minerals is expected to cover all environmental related features. General Information Mining of stone and metals has been done since pre-historic times. Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, which are processed and/ or used for production of materials of economic value. Mining of minerals plays a positive role in the process of country’s economic development. In addition to the contribution towards economic growth, mining can also be a major source of degradation of physical as well as social environment, unless it is properly managed. Environmental impacts can arise during all activities of the mining process. Minimizing the damage due to mining operations depends on sound environmental practices in a framework of balanced environmental legislation. The potential adverse effects of mining activities include air pollution, surface and groundwater pollution, noise and vibration, damage to local ecology, natural topography and drainage, depletion of water resources etc. All these environmental components are required to be considered while selecting a proper methodology of mining, mitigation measures to reduce pollution load, conservation of natural resources etc. 1.0 Introduction The sand lease was granted to Mr. Gasura Dinmahammad Mojamkhan over an area of 1.00.00 hectare on Banas River Paiki Vill. Juna Deesa, Ta. Deesa, Dist. Banaskhantha, Gujarat by state government.This is a sand mining lease and mining operations were commenced on 30-05- 2003 and granted permission for 3 years. 2.0 Project Description I. The mining plan has been approved for sand mining over Building Stone. II. There is no blasting involved in this project. III. The scheme of mining was approved by the District collector & department of mines & geology, palanpur- b.k. (Guarat). Kindly refer Annexure – V for mining plan. IV. Order of Honorable Supreme Court order, dated 06-08-2015 regarding the mining projects with lease area upto less than 5 hectare including projects of minor mineral with less than 5 hectare required environment clearance. V. Sand Mining is done only in Lease area as provided by the mining department. Location of the project VI. Latitude- VII. Longitude - VIII. Village-Juna Deesa IX. Tehsil-Deesa X. District-Banaskantha XI. State-Gujarat XII. Airport-Ahemdabad • This project is given for approval National Park:none Wildlife sanctuary:none Topogarphically the district can be divided into three main parts-the hilly or mountainous country in the East, the piedment Zone and plan area in the west. The hilly country has got a high relief and rugged topography covering parts of Deesa Palanpur, Vadgam talukas and entire Danta Taluka. Prominent hilly ranges are Separated by intervening vallys. The high hills are mostly above 1000 m and include jasor, Chiklodar, Ishwania, Daivania-Guru-no-pahad, Gabbargarh etc, This Zone is heavily forested. Topographical map Topographical map 3.0 Land environment 3.1.a Land The existing mining lease area is undulating area covered by hard rock. The lease area is Strip mines quarry under landuse/landcover category. 3.1.b Topography The lease area is undulating and hilly reason and General slope of the area is towards SW. Average height of the lease area is about 445 m from MSL. 3.1.c Geology The majority of the area is occupied by alluvium. There are variety of building stones of the district, such as marble near Ambaji, granite near Dantiwada dam and Umedpura, Crytilline limestone around Danta and Amirgadh and quartzite near Palanpur. Topogarphically the district can be divided into three main parts-the hilly or mountainous country in the East, the piedment Zone and plan area in the west. The hilly country has got a high relief and rugged topography covering parts of Deesa Palanpur, Vadgam talukas and entire Danta Taluka. Prominent hilly ranges are Separated by intervening vallys. The high hills are mostly above 1000 m and include jasor, Chiklodar, Ishwania, Daivania-Guru-no-pahad, Gabbargarh etc, This Zone is heavily forested. The piedment Zone runs all along the periphery of hilly area and comparises loose to semi consolidated weathered material from the hilly terrain. At places there during rainly season. Most of the rivers have south and Western folow directions. are sand mounds also. To the West and South West river Bans the area flat with occasional undulations giving rise to sand dunes and mound. There is an extensive cover of sand. The Western extension of this plain merges into the marshy area of Rann of Kutch. Since the district experience a semi-arid types if climate, the rivers flowing through it ate of phemeral nature. some of them like Banas and Saraswati, however, carry fairly good amount of water. The oldest rock formations found in the district belong to the Delhi, super group of rocks of pre- Cambrian age, These are represented by Ajabgarh Group of metasediments which include calcareous rocks like marble and calcgnesis; argillaceous rocks like quartzite, quartz schist etc. They occupy the north and nonwestern portion of the district. After the deposition of Ajabgarh rocks there were three phases of igneous activity as indicated by the presence of rocks like (1) Basic igneous rocks which have further been metamorphosed into hornblende schist, pyroxene granulite, talc-schist etc. (2) Gabbroic instructions and associated pyroxene granulites and (3) Granites and pegmatites.Next younger rocks are represented by limestone marl and shale of patcham scries belonging to Jurassic period in Mesozoic. They occur as scampered outcrops in western portions, similarly the youngest rocks of Tertiary age also occur in isolated outcrops in the west. They comprise limestone, calcareous, clays and conglomerates. Covering all the above rock types are soils and blown sand. They have been developed and deposited during Holocene times. The sand in fact is still mobile in certain parts. Chronological order: - Lithology Period Alluvium Recent Sandstone, Limestone Jurassic Spidiorite, Gabbrom Dolerite, etc. Basic instrusive. Erinpura Granite Post Delhi intrusives. 3.1.d Soil Soil may be defined as a thin layer of earth’s crust, which serves as a natural medium for the growth of plants. The soil characteristics include both physical and chemical details. The soil found in the region is in situ soil and found in consolidated form. The soil is brown to reddish in color, fine to very fine-grained having a thickness of 0.5to 1.0 m. 3.2 Air Environment Ambient air quality monitoring will be done at 1 station in the Core zone and 4 locations in the buffer zone within the study area. The monitoring will be done for 24 hrs twice a week for one season except monsoon. The location of the monitoring station will be selected based on predominant wind direction and sensitive locations within the study area 3.3 Water environment Surface water quality will be monitored from available surface water resource at 3 locations maximum and ground water monitoring will be done at 3 locations depending upon the ground water contour, water sample should be collected once in each month of study period. 3.4 Noise Environment Noise pressure level will be monitored for 4 locations from surrounding of the project from residential, commercial, sensitive locations and at traffic junctions. The monitoring will be done for day and night Leq noise pressure level once every month during study period. 3.5 Biological Environment The details of ecologically sensitive flora and fauna will be collected from the secondary data sources (Forest Department of the area and Research Laboratories) of the study area. The assessment study will be carried out in both core and buffer zone through survey by Functional Area Expert. 3.6 Socio- Economic Environment Socioeconomic condition will be studied from secondary published data and samples collected through questionnaire using appropriate sampling techniques. 3.7 Waste Generation There is no waste generation. Top layer or overburden of the soil and rejects are used for land filling and road making. 4.0 Anticipated Impacts and Mitigation Measures 4.1 Land Environment Environmental Land Use Principles and Planning Analysis focuses on land analysis methods, such as spatial-temporal analysis utilizing Topo Map and Geographic Information Systems(GIS), soils and slope analysis, assessment of storm water quantity and quality, land use and groundwater protection ecological assessment of vegetation, wetlands and habitats. 4.2 Air Environment The air pollution in river sand mining occurs because of activities likes, dragging,excavation, loading unloading, Transportation etc. Air pollution cause by miningactivity is mainly SPM and vehicular emission. Following mitigation measure is taken to minimize SPM generation & air pollution. _ Sprinkling of water on haul road and surrounding area to reduce dusting. _ Plantation will be carried out on approach roads, on boundary of mining and area near by vicinity of river bank which act as wind breaking wall and reduce erosion of soil due to wind. _ It is being ensured that all transportation vehicles will carry a valid PUC certificate. _ To control the emissions regular preventive maintenance of equipment will be carried out on contractual basis. 4.3 Water Environment (surface and groundwater) Surface Water Pollution: There will be no any water pollution because no any waste water stream generate from mining. Domestic Wastewater: _ 0.50 KL/Day of domestic wastewater generates, which pass through septic tank before discharge in soak-pit.