Groundwater - Resource Characterisation and Management Aspects

prevention strategies. Their economical remediation is possible to an extent through proper mine drainage system.

Undoubtedly, in ore processing, tailings, and waste disposal, methods and procedures are key areas of focus in the pollution abatement strategies. Therefore, to deal with it, attention toward the "best practices in water management" is needed. Practically, for improving water management in the mining environments, approaches should be:


Box 2. How mine water increases cost of production?

Mine water presence in excess requires pre-draining that adds to the cost of pumping; more expensive construction prevents the use of preferred methods and equipments. Overall it puts additional burden on cost of mineral production. If underground mine is watery, it requires use of more expensive explosive. "Timber support," if used in underground mines, are not good if mine has wet conditions. Alternate wetting and drying of timber cause timber decay and endanger mine safety. The mine water washes weak ground from underground openings, for example, sand, silt, gravel, clay, etc. are washed easily causing reduced safety for wall, roof, etc.

In the case of underground mine water, if one knows the effect of water on surrounding underground environment, its value can be assessed both directly and indirectly, for example, water is hazardous in mine shaft because wetness corrodes hoist ropes, steel girders, ladders, planks, shaft timber, etc.; mine water and wetness add to the maintenance of underground equipments, reduce effectiveness of lubricant, increase corrosion, cause scaling in pipes, lead to rusting in wet exposed metallic surfaces, etc.; mine water may add to miner's discomfort due to continuous wetness of protective clothes and bring illness (a form of indirect cost). Increased electrical hazards are the anticipated effect of mine water on mine safety underground.

	- Preventive approach has the ability to remove or add the nutrients from soil/land (through surface water) because land, soil, and water are an integrated part of natural water system. By this approach soil/land quality can be made sustainable, for example, (a) nitrogen compounds are broken down and phosphate is fixed for agricultural land use in plain profile land areas with adequate water. (b) By allocating proper land use

Mining of Minerals and Groundwater in India DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.85309

> profiles with the land use activities for each catchment area, an improvement in overall land quality is achievable. (c) Designing of suitable land use pattern within the mine lease area or catchment areas is a step forward toward mitigation and preventive care.


The description given above explains that how management of water can be done economically and effectively with practically implementable water management practices. Since underground mine water management is sharply different from open-pit water management, technical knowledge of mining engineering can be an added advantage. However, it would be good to extract value from the mine water, as doing so can partially recover the water treatment costs and both shortterm and long-term gain can be made. It is also understood that proper water treatment and management with respect to mines can bring a stage/situation in which groundwater will turn into a useful commodity for that particular mine which is scientifically managed and evaluated.
