Land Restoration / Reclamation Monitoring of Open Cast Coal Mines Less than 5 million cu.m. (OB+Coal) of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd.

Based on Satellite Data for the Year 2012   

Submitted to South Eastern Coalfields Limited.

Kuraia OCP, SECL

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) i

Land Restoration / Reclamation Monitoring of Open Cast Coal Mines Less than 5 million cu.m. (OB+Coal) of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd.

Based on Satellite Data for the Year 2012

March-2013

Remote Sensing Cell Geomatics Division

CMPDI, Ranchi

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) ii

CONTENTS

Executive Summary iii-v 1.0 Background 1 2.0 Objective 2

3.0 Methodology 2 4.0 Work plan 6 5.0 Land Reclamation in North Eastern Coalfields 7

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) iii

Executive Summary

1.0 Project Land restoration / reclamation monitoring of 5 opencast coal mines of South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (SECL) producing less than 5 million cu.m. (Coal+OB) per year based on satellite data on regular basis at an interval of three years.

2.0 Objective Objective of the land restoration / reclamation

monitoring is to assess the area of backfilled, plantation, social forestry, active mining area, water bodies, and distribution of wasteland, agricultural land and forest in the leasehold area of the project. This will help in assessing the progressive status of mined land reclamation and to take up remedial measures, if any, required for environmental protection.

3.0 Salient Findings

• Out of the total mine leasehold area of 2813.68 Ha. of the 5 opencast projects of SECL viz. Amadand, Amera, Baiga, Chhal and Kurasia considered for monitoring during 2012-13; total excavated area is 560.63 Ha

(89.98%) of which 385.88 Ha. area (68.82%) has been planted, 118.66 Ha. area (21.16%) has been backfilled and 56.19 Ha. area (10.02%) is under active mining.

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) iv

Area are in Ha.Plantation/ Vegetation Backfilled Active Mining Total Mined‐out Area Total Reclamed area

ii iii iv ii+iii+iv ii+iii2012 2012 2012 2012 201266.09 19.80 7.21 93.10 85.8970.99 21.27 7.74 92.26

671.9 61.87 11.72 9.32 73.5974.62 14.14 11.24 88.7656.56 8.33 0.00 64.8987.16 12.84 0.00 100.007.30 57.69 39.66 64.996.98 55.13 37.90 62.10194.06 21.12 0.00 215.1890.18 9.82 0.00 100.00

2813.68 385.88 118.66 56.19 560.73 504.5468.82 21.16 10.02 89.98

TOTAL (SECL) 

4 Chhal 227.63 104.65

5 Kurasia 1043.25 215.18

Name Leasehold  (i)

Table ‐ 1

Projectwise Land Reclamation Status in Opencast Projects of SECLbased on Satellite Data of the year 2012

Sl. No.

Project 

(% Calculated in terms of Total Mined‐Out Area)

82.91

64.89

1 Amera 710.28

2 Amadand

3 Baiga 160.62

0

400

800

1200

Amera Amadand Baiga Chhal Kurasia

710.28

671.90 160.62

227.63

1043.2593.10

82.91

64.89

104.65

215.18

85.89

73.59

64.89

64.99

215.18

Area

in H

a.

Landuse /Cover Classes

Project wise status of Land Reclamation in SECL for the Year 2012

Leasehold

Mined Out

Reclaimed

Year 2012

Fig.1: Land reclamation status in OC projects of SECL in the year-2012

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 1

1.0 Background

1.1 Land is the most important natural resource which embodies soil, water, flora and fauna and total ecosystem. All human activities are based on the land which is most scarce natural resource in our country. Mining is a site specific industry and it could not be shifted anywhere else from the location where mineral occurs. It is a fact that surface mining activities do effect the land environment due to ground breaking. Therefore, there is an urgent need to reclaim and restore the mined out land for its productive use for sustainable development of mining. This will not only mitigate environmental degradation, but would also help in creating a more congenial environment for land acquisition by coal companies in future.

1.2 Keeping above in view, Coal India Ltd. (CIL) issued a work order vide letter no. CIL/WBP/Env/2009/2428 dated 29.12.2009 to Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDI), Ranchi, which has well a equipped remote sensing facility and capability to monitor the status of land reclamation for all the opencast coal mines having production of more than 5 million cu. m. per annum (coal + OB taken together) based on remote sensing satellite data, regularly on annual basis for sustainable development of mining operation within command area of CIL and its subsidiaries. Further, the opencast coal mining project of less than 5 million cu.m per annum capacity (Coal +OB) is also under satellite monitoring from the year 2011 at interval of three years. The result of land reclamation status of all such mines to be put on the website of CIL, (www.coalindia.in), CMPDI (www.cmpdi.co.in) and the concerned coal companies in public domain. Detail report to be submitted to Coal India and respective subsidiaries.

1.3 Land reclamation monitoring of all opencast coal mining projects would also comply the statutory

requirements of Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF).Such monitoring would not only facilitate in taking timely mitigation measures against environmental degradation, but would also enable coal companies to utilize the reclaimed land for larger socio-economic benefits in a planned way.

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 2

1.4 Present report is embodying the finding of the study based on satellite data of the year 2011

carried out for all the OC projects producing less than 5 million cu.m. of coal+OB for South Eastern Coalfields Ltd..

2.0 Objective Objective of the land reclamation/restoration monitoring is to assess the area of backfilled, plantation, OB dumps, social forestry, active mining area, settlements and water bodies, distribution of wasteland, agricultural land and forest land in the leasehold area of the project. This is an important step taken up for assessing the progressive status of mined land reclamation and for taking up remedial measures, if any, required for environmental protection.

3.0 Methodology

There are number of steps involved between raw satellite data procurement and preparation of final map. National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) Hyderabad, being the nodal agency for satellite data supply in India, provides only raw digital satellite data, which needs further digital image processing for extracting the information and map preparation before uploading the same in the website. Methodology for land reclamation monitoring is given in given in Fig 2. Following steps are involved in land reclamation /restoration monitoring:

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 3

Figure: 2 Methodology for Land Reclamation Monitoring

3.1 Data Procurement: After browsing the data quality and date of pass on internet, supply order

for data is placed to NRSC. Secondary data like leasehold boundary, topo sheets are procured for creation of vector database.

3.2 Satellite Data Processing: Satellite data are processed using PCI GEOMATICA / ERDAS

IMAGINE digital image processing s/w. Methodology involves the following major steps:

• Rectification & Geo-referencing: Inaccuracies in digital imagery may occur due to ‘systematic errors’ attributed to earth curvature and rotation as well as ‘non-systematic errors’ attributed to satellite receiving station itself. Raw digital images contain geometric distortions, which make them unusable as maps. Therefore, geo-referencing is required

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 4

for correction of image data using ground control points (GCP) to make it compatible to SoI topo sheet.

• Image enhancement: To improve the interpretability of the raw data, image enhancement is necessary. Local

operations modify the value of each pixel based on brightness value of neighbouring pixels using PCI Geomatica / ERDAS IMAGINE 9.3 s/w. and enhance the image quality for interpretation.

• Training set selection Training set requires to be selected, so that software can classify the image data

accurately. The image data are analysed based on the interpretation keys. These keys are evolved from certain fundamental image-elements such as tone/colour, size, shape, texture, pattern, location, association and shadow. Based on the image-elements and other geo-technical elements like land form, drainage pattern and physiography; training sets were selected/identified for each land use/cover class. Field survey was carried out by taking selective traverses in order to collect the ground information (or reference data) so that training sets are selected accurately in the image. This was intended to serve as an aid for classification.

• Classification and Accuracy assessment Image classification is carried out using the maximum likelihood algorithm. The

classification proceeds through the following steps: (a) calculation of statistics [i.e. signature generation] for the identified training areas, and (b) the decision boundary of maximum probability based on the mean vector, variance, covariance and correlation matrix of the pixels. After evaluating the statistical parameters of the training sets, reliability test of training sets is conducted by measuring the statistical separation

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 5

between the classes that resulted from computing divergence matrix. The overall accuracy of the classification was finally assessed with reference to ground truth data.

• Area calculation The area of each land use class in the leasehold is determined using PCI Geomatica

v10.1 / ERDAS IMAGINE v. 9.3 software.

• Overlay of Vector data base Vector data base created based on secondary data. Vector layer like drainage, railway

line, leasehold boundary, forest boundary etc. are superimposed on the image as vector layer in the Arc GIS database.

• Pre-field map preparation Pre-field map is prepared for validation of the classification result

3.3 Ground Truthing: Selective ground verification of the land use classes are carried out in the field and necessary

corrections if required, are incorporated before map finalization.

3.4 Land reclamation database on GIS: Land reclamation database is created on GIS platform to identify the temporal changes identified

from satellite data of different cut-of dates.

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 6

4.0 Work Plan 4.1 Two opencast projects of SECL producing less than 5 million cubic m. (Coal + OB together)

during the year 2012 which have been taken up for land restoration / reclamation monitoring based on the RESOURCESAT-1(L-IV) satellite data using PCI Geomatics / ERDAS Imaging digital image processing s/w on GIS platform. Land reclamation monitoring will be carried out regularly on annual basis to assess the progressive status of land restoration / reclamation in the above opencast mines. The report of this study has been uploaded on the website of CMPDI & CIL in public domain.

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 7

5.0 Land Reclamation Status in South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. 5.1 Following five opencast projects of SECL producing less than 5 million cubic m. (coal+OB)

together, were taken up for land reclamation monitoring during the year 2012. Amadand Amera Baiga Chhal Kurasia

5.2 Area statistics of different land use class present in the mine leasehold of the above projects for the year 2012 are shown in the Table - 5.1. Land use maps derived from satellite data are shown in Plate 5.1 - 5.5. Different land use classes based on satellite data are depicted in Bar Charts in Fig.5.1 - 5.5.

5.3 Study reveals that out of total 560.63 Ha. mining area; 504.54 Ha. area (89.98%) has already

been reclaimed out of which 385.88 Ha. (68.82%) area has been revegitated and 118.66 Ha. (21.16%) area are backfilled.

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 8

Area % Area % Area % Area % Area % Area %Dense Forest 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Open Forest 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.61 1.02 10.61 0.38

Total Forest/Tea Plantation 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.61 1.02 10.61 0.38

Scrubs 4.92 0.69 18.67 2.78 49.39 30.75 71.90 31.59 550.45 52.76 695.33 24.71

Social Forestry 66.09 9.30 61.87 9.21 7.03 4.38 0.00 0.00 94.98 9.10 229.97 8.17

Plantation on OB Dump 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 49.53 30.84 7.30 3.21 0.00 0.00 56.83 2.02

Plantation on Backfill 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 99.08 9.50 99.08 3.52

Total Plantation (Biological Reclamation) 66.09 9.30 61.87 9.21 56.56 35.22 7.30 3.21 194.06 18.60 385.88 13.71Total Vegetation 71.01 9.99 80.54 11.99 105.95 65.97 79.20 34.80 755.12 72.38 1091.82 38.80

Coal Quarry 6.37 0.90 8.26 1.23 0.00 0.00 34.25 15.05 0.00 0.00 48.88 1.74

Coal Dump 0.84 0.12 1.06 0.16 0.00 0.00 5.41 2.38 0.00 0.00 7.31 0.26

Advance Quarry Site 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Quarry Filled With Water(Sump) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Total Area under Active Mining 7.21 1.02 9.32 1.39 0.00 0.00 39.66 17.43 0.00 0.00 56.19 2.00

Barren OB Dump 19.80 2.79 11.72 1.74 8.33 5.19 57.69 25.33 0.00 0.00 97.54 3.47

Barren Backfilled Area 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 21.12 2.02 21.12 0.75

Total Area under Technical Reclamation 19.80 2.79 11.72 1.74 8.33 5.19 57.69 25.33 21.12 2.02 118.66 4.22

Total Area under Mining 27.01 3.81 21.04 3.13 8.33 5.19 97.35 42.76 21.12 2.02 174.85 6.21

Waste Lands 315.67 44.44 51.96 7.73 14.73 9.17 0.00 0.00 202.15 19.38 584.51 20.77

Fly Ash Pond / Sand Body 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Total Wasteland 315.67 44.44 51.96 7.73 14.73 9.17 0.00 0.00 202.15 19.38 584.51 20.77

Reservoir, nallah, ponds 2.99 0.42 5.46 0.81 15.03 9.36 18.76 8.24 6.90 0.66 49.14 1.75

Total Waterbodies 2.99 0.42 5.46 0.81 15.03 9.36 18.76 8.24 6.90 0.66 49.14 1.75

Crop Lands 8.67 1.22 36.44 5.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 45.11 1.60

Fallow Lands 271.41 38.22 461.03 68.62 0.00 0.00 32.29 14.19 0.00 0.00 764.73 27.18

Total Agriculture 280.08 39.44 497.47 74.04 0.00 0.00 32.29 14.19 0.00 0.00 809.84 28.78

Urban Settlement 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 16.58 10.32 0.00 0.00 57.96 5.56 74.54 2.65

Rural Settlement 13.52 1.90 15.43 2.30 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 28.95 1.03

Industrial Settlement 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.03 0.00

Total Settlement 13.52 1.90 15.43 2.30 16.58 10.31 0.03 0.01 57.96 5.56 103.52 3.68Grand Total 710.28 100.00 671.90 100.00 160.62 100.00 227.63 100.00 1043.25 100.00 2813.68 100.00

SETT

LEM

ENTS

ACTI

VE M

ININ

GRE

CLAI

MED

WAS

TELA

NDS

WAT

ERBO

DIES

AGRI

CULT

URE

FORE

STS

SCRU

BSPL

ANTA

TION

TABLE - 5.1

Status of Land Use / Reclamation in OC Mines(<5mcu.m) of South Eastern Coalfields Limited based on Satellite data of the Year 2012(Area in Hq.)

Amadand Kurasia TOTALAmera Baiga Chhal

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 9

Plate 5.1

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Job No 561410027/(SECL) 10

Plate 5.2

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 11

Plate 5.3

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 12

Plate 5.4

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Job No 561410027/(SECL) 13

Plate 5.5

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Job No 561410027/(SECL) 14

0

100

200

300

400

Settlement Plantation Vegetation Cover

Wasteland Mining Area Surface water

13.52

66.09

71.01

315.67

27.01 2.99

Area

in H

a.

Landuse /Cover Classes

Status of Land Reclamation in Amadand OCP

2012

Year

Figure 5.1 

Figure 5.2 

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 15

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Settlement Plantation Vegetation Cover

Wasteland Mining Area Surface water

16.58

56.56

105.95

14.73

8.33

15.03

Are

a in

Ha.

Landuse /Cover Classes

Status of Land Reclamation in Baiga OCP

2012

Year

Figure 5.3 

 

 

 

Figure 5.4

CMPDI

Job No 561410027/(SECL) 16

 

 

Figure 5.5