Mining is a process of extraction of minerals from inside the earth. Minerals are mainly found in the orebody, lode, vein, and seam.
From mining, the ores of Coal, oil, shale, limestone, chalk rock salt, potash, gravel, etc. are mined. Mining is the extraction of non-renewable resources like petroleum, natural gases, etc. In today’s world mining process involves searching ore bodies, analysis of the profit potential of the mines, extraction of the desired materials, and the closing of land once the mining is complete. Mining is part of hard infrastructure. It needs lots of investment. If you want to know more about hard infrastructure, refer to my blog on hard infrastructure.
Mining in the ancient times
From ancient times people are using stone, ceramics. After that, they started using metals that are available near the surface of the earth. Our ancestor makes tools and weapons from these metals. The first mineral used was flint. Flint is having a conchoidal pattern that is easy to break into the sharp edges. Flint is useful for making knives, arrowheads, and scrapers.
During the Stone Age for the first time a shaft of 100 meters sunk in the soft chalk deposit in France and Britain. The oldest underground mine in the world was at Bomvu Ridge in Swaziland.
For the first time, Gold mining was done in the streambeds of sand and gravel. The gold occurred there is in pure metal. Copper is the second metal discovered and used. Silver was found in its pure state. There was a time in history when the value of silver is more than gold. Additionally, read more about my blog on Traditional Infrastructure.
Impact of mining on the environment
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Mining is having a diverse effect on the environment. Its effects are at both the time when the mining is in process and when it is finished. Most of the nations in the world have passed many regulations to decrease the impact of mining. The need for mining in human life sometimes restricts the government to follow the rule and regulations.
The work safety of workers is one of the most important things. This makes it move towards modern practices and improved the condition of the mines. In developing countries, mining activities contribute a lot to the violation of rights. Additionally, you can read more about The Infrastructure Of Water Supply In India 2022.
Mining can affect the environment very harshly. It results in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, contamination of soil, groundwater as well as surface water. This happens because of the emission of chemical gases from the mining process. This chemical also affects public health. For mining companies, it is very important to become stricter and think about the proper rehabilitation of the mined area.
Mining is a need for human beings. The life of humans revolves around minerals. Whether it is cooking of food or any equipment or for transportation everywhere minerals are needed. And to fulfill these demands mining work is very important.