abstract: 'Mining and quarrying provide the basic raw materials for sustaining

  human well-being and are critical for achieving economic developments.

  At the same time, environmental degradation and its associated social

  impacts and inequalities have become a grave reality of mining sector

  that affects all nations, individually and/or collectively. Assessment

  of the environmental impacts arising from mining and quarrying is

  critical to limit the environmental problems within the barest minimum

  levels. Although many impact assessment studies are available on

  mining/quarrying of different major and minor minerals, not many studies

  exist on quarrying for laterite blocks which is being widespread in many

  of the fast developing tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world

  like India. Therefore, this paper evaluates the impact of laterite

  quarrying for construction blocks, in one of the twin river basins in SW

  India, the Netravati-Gurpur river basin, where the activity is

  widespread. The Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) method was used to

  evaluate the impacts of laterite quarrying as it allows a comprehensive

  analysis of the results based on the individual environmental score

  obtained for each component. RIAM is a valuable assessment tool, owing

  to its capability in quick, collective and reliable evaluation of the

  impacts that can aid decision making and minimization of environmental

  impacts, especially at early planning stages. Data pertaining to

  resource extraction, identification of impacting actions, mapping of

  mining hotspots, etc., were collected from primary and secondary sources

  through systematic field work and sample collection, questionnaire

  surveys within the local community and other stakeholders such as mine

  operators, labourers, officials of Government departments, etc. A total

  of 21 laterite quarries are located in the basin with a total production

  of 5.7 million laterite bricks/year (0.115 x 10(6) ty(-1)). The impact

  assessment study revealed that the activity not only disturbs the

  natural environment especially, hydrology, air quality and noise levels,

  ecology, land use and soil stability but has profound influence on the

  socio-economic factors of human health and immunity, displacement, etc.,

  of the quarrying-hit areas. The activity also recorded both long-term

  and short-term positive impacts as a source of employment and income

  generation. Additionally, the activity favours groundwater replenishment

  and agriculture productivity of the area where appropriate mine closure

  measures were taken up. However, the positive impacts of the activity

  are far outweighed by the fact that most impacts of laterite quarrying

  are of class - C (moderate negative impact) and - D (significant

  negative impact) owing to the long-term socio-environmental and

  bio-ecological implications of the activity. Thus, it is imperative that

  there is significant improvement in policy and regulatory framework and

  its implementation for mining and quarrying of building materials which

  is vital for meeting future development requirements.'
affiliation: 'Vandana, M (Corresponding Author), Natl Ctr Earth Sci Studies, Thiruvananthapuram,
  Kerala, India.

  Vandana, M.; Sunny, Syam; Maya, K.; Padmalal, D., Natl Ctr Earth Sci Studies, Thiruvananthapuram,
  Kerala, India.

  John, Shiekha E., Minist Earth Sci, Lodi Rd, New Delhi, India.'
author: Vandana, M. and John, Shiekha E. and Sunny, Syam and Maya, K. and Padmalal,
  D.
author-email: vandanaeldo@gmail.com
author_list:
- family: Vandana
  given: M.
- family: John
  given: Shiekha E.
- family: Sunny
  given: Syam
- family: Maya
  given: K.
- family: Padmalal
  given: D.
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1007/s10668-022-02741-5
earlyaccessdate: NOV 2022
eissn: 1573-2975
files: []
issn: 1387-585X
journal: ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
keywords: 'Laterite quarrying; Land degradation; Netravati-Gurpur river basin;

  Environmental impact assessment (EIA); Sustainability'
keywords-plus: PROFILE
language: English
month: 2022 NOV 9
number-of-cited-references: '62'
papis_id: fbbb23f0b43bb37f0408050e7f100915
ref: Vandana2022environmentalimpact
times-cited: '1'
title: Environmental impact assessment of laterite quarrying from Netravati-Gurpur
  river basin, South West Coast of India
type: Article; Early Access
unique-id: WOS:000880516100001
usage-count-last-180-days: '4'
usage-count-since-2013: '10'
web-of-science-categories: Green \& Sustainable Science \& Technology; Environmental
  Sciences
year: '2022'