INTRODUCTION
Makrana (27º02’25” N
latitude, 74º43’44”E longitude) is situated at
eastern margin of the Thar desert and has an ancient marble
mining history. The Makrana marble has made a perceptible dent
in marble industry because of its blockability, whiteness, high
CaO 50-56 %, low MgO 0.90–177 %, as compared to other marbles of
Rajasthan (Table - 3), good polishing character and lustre. It
is fine grained and exhibits stable, well distributed colours,
pleasing and attractive designs and patterns. The translucent
varieties of Makrana marble are preferred over other marbles for
monumental and sculpture work (IBM 1993).
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL AND GEOLOGICAL
SET-UP
Geomorphologically, the area is
represented by strike ridges, sand sheets, anthropogenic
overburden mounds, slurry dumps and deep pits. Drainage in the
mining area is mostly internal. Major part of the area is
covered by mobile to semi stable, NNW-SSE to NE-SW trending sand
dunes which overlie calcareous sand pseudo-conglomerate, kankar
or gypsite bed of Quaternary period. Marble is exposed on
surface in the central part, whereas overburden varies upto 15 m
in the northern and the southern part of the area.
General slope in the mining area is
towards west and northwest. Ground water in the area occur
under water table condition and mining at present is below water
table in old mines. Water table is 30-40 m below ground level.
Ground water from the mines is released in open lands and
agricultural fields.
Makrana marble deposits belong to
Ajmer Formation of Kumbhalgarh Group of the Delhi Supergroup (Pareek,
1984; G.S.I. 1997). Five prominent marble bands occur in the
area west of Makrana. From east to west these are known as (1)
Devi-Gunawati range (2) Dungri range (3) Pink range, (4) Makrana
Kumhari range, and (5) Borawar Kumhari range with band I and II
(Natani, 2001). The different marble bands have formed due to
tight isoclinal folding. The mining ranges are known by
different names in different blocks (Fig. 1). At present mines
extend from Matabhar in the north to Bilu-Mored in the south
(approximately 13 km) along the strike and from Gunawati in the
east to Borawar in the west (about 1.6 km) across the strike.
Matabhar, Kalanada, Kolhadungri and Bilu-Mored are new mining
areas. |
|
|
MINING
RELATED ACTIVITIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT
Open cast mining, marble
processing, solid waste generation and its disposal, trading and
transport of marble blocks, slabs and irregular marble pieces (khandas),
and art and craft work are
 important activities in Makrana
mining area. Quarrying is by conventional rope and bucket
method and the quarries run along the strike and dip of marble
bands. Large scale land transformations, unscientific mining,
unsegregated waste dmps, incompatible land uses and improper
waste disposal have caused land degradation, ponding and
flooding of water, visual impact, loss of aesthetics, pollution,
health and safety hazards. |
