• Dr. Duryadhan Behera

Exploitation of minerals is a major commercial activity which is indispensable for the economic development of the society. At the same time it has also many adverse effects on the environment. Open cast mining operation a site-specific activity and complex system of operation it directly influence and affect the other natural resources like land, water, soil, air, flora and fauna of the region. Fugitive dust is the single largest air pollutant in the all open cast iron ore mining areas. Major air pollutants are generated from various sources in the opencast iron ore mining areas may be divided into two broad categories: (a) Dust in the form of SPM and RPM and (b) Gases like Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Oxides of nitrogen (NO2) and Carbon monoxide (CO). It has been found that the all the parameters like SPM and RPM in and around active mining region are exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS-2003). Observed values of SO2 and NO2 in all the monitoring station from 2005 to 2008 in the different region as well as residential places around Joda-Barbil region remained below the limits prescribed by the NAAQS (2003). However, increasing concentration of all forms of pollutants became the main cause of rapid deterioration of air quality in the Joda-Barbil region and enhances the health risk of the people in surrounding village.

Open cast mining, joda-Barbil region, NAAQS, Air Pollutants, SPM, RPM

"Opencast iron ore mining and status of ambient air quality in Joda-Barbil region of Keonjhar district, Odisha, India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no.616-625, June 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907S01.pdf

"Opencast iron ore mining and status of ambient air quality in Joda-Barbil region of Keonjhar district, Odisha, India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 6, page no. pp616-625, June 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907S01.pdf