over exploitation of mineral resources
(a) Mining is hazardous occupation:
1. This occupation involves several health risk dust produced during mining operation are injurious to health and cause lung diseases.
2. Extraction of some toxic or radioactive minerals leads to life threatening hazards.
3. Dynamite explosion during mining is very risky as fumes produced are extremely poisonous.
4. Underground mining is more hazardous than surface mining as there are more chances if accidents like roof falls, flooding and inadequate ventilation etc.
(b) Rapid depletion of high grade minerals:
Increasing demand for high grade minerals has compelled miners to carry out more extraction of minerals, which require more energy sources and produce large amount of waste materials.
(c) Wastage of upper soil layer and vegetation:
Surface mining results in the complete destruction of upper soil layer and vegetation. After extraction, the wastes are dumped in an area which destroys the total surface and vegetation.
(d) Environmental problems:
Over exploitation of mineral resources resulted in many environmental problems like:
1. Conversion of productive land into mining and industrial areas.
2. Mining and extraction process are one of the sources of air, water and land pollution.
3. Mining involves huge consumption of energy resources like coal, petroleum, natural gas etc. which are in-turn non renewable sources of energy.
4. Surface mining directly degrades the fertile soil surface thus effect ecology and climate if that particular area.