Open Cast Mining Environmental Impacts

Open-cast mining, also known as open-pit mining or open-cut mining, is a surface mining technique used to extract valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth's surface. This method involves the removal of large quantities of overburden (soil, rock, and other materials that cover the ore or mineral deposit) to access the deposit beneath. Open-cast mining is typically employed for minerals that are found near the surface and are spread over a wide area.
Some of its negative effects include:
- Causes soil erosion/encourages soil erosion
- Derelicts landscape/makes landscape ugly
- Destruction of biodiversity
- Creates hiding outs of thugs/thieves
- Creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes if the pits are filled with water