M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

PRE-FEASIBILITY REPORT

1.0. Executive Summary

M/s. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal proposes to implement mining activity at Survey No.326/2/4, Village Pimpale,

Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar and State Maharashtra. The proposed project shall produce or mined

77125 MT of stones per annum and shall be sold in the nearby areas for different uses. During mining operation,

stone is obtained by digging, blasting, or cutting operation. Occasionally drilling and channelling is also done

using hand chisels and hammers. However, due to industrialization and technological advancement, presently,

quarrying of minerals is being undertaken with the help of different types of mining machinery to speed up the

work and to secure required quantities in time.

The proposed site is located within the co-ordinates of 19°40’10.30" N and 74°13’02.10" E, 19°40'08.30" N

and 74°18'03.70" E, 19°40'08.80" N and 74°12'57.50" E, 19°40'10.80" N and 74°12'56.20" E. The Sinnar-

Kolhar Budruk Highway SH 45 is at a distance of 4.21 km in the North and national highway (NH 50) Pune-

Nashik is at 6.0 km in the West. The nearest village of Pimpale, is in the North at distance of 4.0 km and taluka

place of Sangamner is at 10.8 km in the South-west direction. All these shows good connectivity of the area by

the road to the nearby villages and towns for easy supply of mined material.

This project is expected to meet the demand supply gap of the area for the different uses in the domestic market.

The demand for the material will be on increasing scale because of population growth and to meet their demand

for housing and other infrastructural facilities. Similarly, government projects need the material on delivery basis

at the work site. Apart from the fulfilling the requirement of material, this project will add into the income of the

local people and thereby will help in increasing the standard of living and livelihood. The proposed project is in

the possession of various permissions from statutory authorities as per the requirement to start the mining

activities. The list of all these required documents shall be enclosed in the subsequent paras of the prefeasibility

report.

The project proponent also undertakes all the responsibilities to safeguard the environment and personal health

of the workers those will be working at the site in the future. Some of the control measures shall include

plantation of trees at the periphery of the project and periodical medical check-up for the Employees to assess

the impact of dust if any on the health. In-addition to these control measures, fogging system or water spraying

during mining and crushing operation shall be followed strictly.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

1.1. Introduction

India possesses a wide spectrum of stones such as granite, marble, sandstone, limestone, slate, and quartzite

which are spread all over the country. India is amongst the largest producer of raw stone material and is quite

developed and vibrant in the South India, as well as in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The Indian stone industry has

evolved into the production and manufacturing of blocks, flooring slabs, structural slabs, calibrated and ready to

fix tiles, monuments, tomb stones, sculptures, artefacts, cobbles, cubes, kerbs, pebbles, and landscape garden

stones.

During the India's history, dating back to 3200 BC has been influenced considerably by the disposition,

development and use of stones and other construction materials. Dimension stones have also left deep imprints

on the architectural heritage of the country. Innumerable temples, forts and palaces of Ancient Indian

Civilisation have been carved out of locally available stones. The Taj Mahal at Agra was constructed from Indian

marble. Some of the rock-cut structures include Khajuraho Temple, Elephanta Caves, and Konark Temple.

Besides, all major archeological excavations have revealed exquisitely carved statuettes and carvings in stone.

Ancient Buddhist monuments like the Sanchi Stupa of III century BC have also been carved out of stone. This

tradition of Stone Architecture has continued to the present era, with most of the important modern buildings in

India like the Presidential House, Parliament House, and Supreme Court made of high

quality sandstone from Rajasthan. Stones are still the mainstays of civil construction in India, with stones being

used extensively in public buildings, hotels, and temples.

India is pioneer in the exploration, mining of commercial rock deposits and in establishing a firm base for stone

industry. India, with an estimated resource of about 1,690 million cu m, comprising over 160 shades

of Dimension Stone Granites (DSG), accounts for about 205 of the world resources. Of the 300 varieties being

traded in the world market, nearly half of them are from India. Commercially viable granite and other rock

deposits are available from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnatka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil

Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

Looking into the importance of stones mining, M/s. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal will be engaged in stone quarrying

at Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar and State Maharashtra with

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

an area of 1.0 ha. Initially, mining of minor minerals with the area of less than 5 ha was not covered under the

EC as per the notification of 2006. However, due to various initiatives by the Government of India to protect the

environment and health of the workers as well as of public, all the mining activities involving minor minerals

irrespective of area, now need to secure prior environmental clearance from the District Authorities (DEAC /

DEIAA). To make the process of mining environment friendly, government has published notification of 15th

January 2016 with respect to minor minerals including Stone quarry and categorized them into Category B2

project. And, made it mandatory to all these B2 category projects to secure Environment Clearance from the

District Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) before start of any activity at the site.

Table 1: Salient Features

Sr. No. Information Details

1 Project Name M/s. Pimpale Stone Quarry

2 Name of Project Proponent 1) Shri. Babaji Namdev Gadakh

3 Address / Location Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka

Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, and State

Maharashtra

4 Area 1.0 hectare

5 Geocodes

19°40’10.30" N

19°40'08.30" N

19°40'08.80" N

19°40'10.80" N

74°13’02.10" E

74°18'03.70" E

74°12'57.50" E

74°12'56.20" E

6 AMSL 690 -720 m

7 Topography Non-forest, Hilly, rocky and barren land

8 Name of Mineral to be Mined Basalt Stone

9 Production Capacity / Annum 77125 MT

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

10 Drilling and blasting On small scale and electrical control blasting

for loosening rock will be done

11 Land use Private non-agriculture and non-forest land

12 Water Requirement and source 9 CMD

13 Solid Waste No Solid Waste generation

14 Manpower 10

15 Type of Land Private non-agricultural land

1.2. About the Project

According to Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), India is one of the top ten nations having various types of mineral

and resources. It produces more than 80 different mineral commodities from the various states. It has abundant

reserves of barite, bauxite, chromites, coal, and iron and manganese ore. As per the report of 2007, mining

activities contributed 4.4% in the India’s economic growth. In Maharashtra, the stone quarrying process has

become very important due to increasing requirement of quarried material for different types of infrastructural

projects. The growing population and its requirement of housing, increased the demand of construction. The

requirement of stone in bigger construction like building towers, roads, railway tracks and dams have increased

many fold. Under the policy of Government for mining, “stone’ is categorized as “Minor Mineral”. The location

of stone Quarrying and Crushing are permitted away from the human habitation to avoid the exposure to dust

pollution to avoid the silicosis.

The said project shall produce variety of stones required for different uses in construction industry. It shall

produce around 77125 MT of stones per annum and shall be sold to nearby areas to cater the needs of

construction.

As per the requirement, Mining plan along with Mine closure plan showing the systematic development of the

mine for next five years has been prepared and approved by the Dy. Directorate of Geology and Mining,

Government of Maharashtra.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

Table 2: Year wise production plan

Sr. No Year Cubic Meter Tonnes Brass

1 I 28564.9 77125 10129.39

2 II 28564.9 77125 10129.39

3 III 28564.9 77125 10129.39

4 IV 28564.9 77125 10129.39

5 V 28564.9 77125 10129.39

Total 142824.5 385625 50646.95

1.3 Stone Quarry

A quarry is a type of opencast mine from where stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate

are being extracted. The Stone Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials as mentioned above.

Stone quarries have different shapes and sizes. Some are, like gravel pits are relatively easy to reclaim. Many

disused quarries, once they have been made safe, can be used for leisure areas such as camp sites or motor vehicle

racing tracks but the reclamation is more difficult. The land where mining activities proposed to be carried out

is owned by the proponent. As, the land is not suitable for cultivation, it is decided to use it for stone quarry to

obtain income for livelihood. Mining plan along with closure plan is prepared initially for five years along with

other requirements of the project.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

1.4 Location and Access

Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner,

District Ahmednagar, Maharashtra

Mining Lease area: 1.0 ha

Capacity of production: 77125 MTPA

The proposed site is located within the co-ordinates of 19°40’10.30" N and 74°13’02.10" E, 19°40'08.30" N

and 74°18'03.70" E, 19°40'08.80" N and 74°12'57.50" E, 19°40'10.80" N and 74°12'56.20" EThe Sinnar-

Kolhar Budruk Highway is at a distance of 4.21 km in the North and national highway (NH 50) Pune- Nashik is

at 6.0 km in the West. The nearest village of Pimpale, is in the North at distance of 4.0 km and taluka place of

Sangamner is at 10.8 km in the South-west direction. All these roads, shows good connectivity of the area to the

nearby villages and towns for easy supply of mined material. The nearest road Sonoshi-Sonewadi is at 0.6 km

from the lease area in the South. The nearest water body is Pravara River in South direction at 12.4 km. The

Nashik railway line is at 49 km in the North-west. All other required facilities such as Primary Health Centre,

School, Market places and other infrastructural facilities are well developed in an around the Ahmednagar. The

site is well connected by the roads to nearby areas and towns for easy transportation of excavated material. All

other major areas are either connected through rail or road network which is also growing rapidly.

Major villages and towns like Nashik, Sangamner, Shrirampur, Shirdi, Kopargaon, Rahuri all are within the 65

km from the site and well connected through the network of the road which is a plus point for the sustaining the

business of the quarry in the long run and also to fulfil the demand supply gap. As area is having very few stone

quarries in the nearby areas. There is also shortage of material as it is being used to make the different varieties

of Pavers block.

2.0. Nature of project

The proposed project activities are mainly of excavation and extraction of stones from the land. The allotted land

for the project is 1.0 hectare and the cost of project will be around 45 lakhs including machinery and

building/Shed. Total manpower requirement shall be around 10, depending upon the demand of the material.

The Stone Crusher, Conveyer Belt, Hopper, Trucks, and Tipper will be major requirement to run the stone quarry

systematically. As per the mining plan, it proposes to mine the stones to the tune of 77125 MT per annum. There

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

is good demand for the quarried material from the area as various developmental projects are undertaken by the

locals and Government agencies. It is also understood and studied that whatever material shall be produced from

the mining will be completely sold out in a time bound manner and there will not be any surplus stock. During

visit to the site and nearby areas for baseline survey, it is understood that there is a shortage of material as it is

being used on the large scale in place of sand for various purposes. Hence, it is envisaged that the proposed

activity will definitely fulfil requirement and need of the nearby Villages and Towns as mentioned in the above

paragraph.

2.1. Need of the project

As mentioned above, stone quarrying activities are very much essential for the availability of required material

for development of the area with respect to construction activities as availability of sand is becoming scares day

by day due to stringent rules and regulation of the environment. Most of the developmental projects requires

stone aggregate for the construction activities including Industrial Plant or Buildings / Towers. Apart from these

requirements, quarried material is being used on the large scale for construction of Roads, Highways, Airways,

Railway Tracks, and Dams. All these developmental activities cannot be implemented without availability of

quarried material; hence this proposed project is very much essential to fulfil the requirement as well as for the

overall growth in economy of the area, region, and the country. All this infrastructural project plays the vital role

in the development of economy of the region and hence the Nation. Recently, the announcement made by our

Hon’ble Prime Minister with respect to home for all by 2020, also added in the requirement of this material and

hence the quarry. It is also expected that the requirement of these material will be doubled within the span of

two to five years due to various reasons as mentioned earlier.

In view of the above, there will be constant growth in the requirement of this material, and therefore, such type

of projects becomes essential for the overall nations growth.

2.2. Demand Supply Gap

The Stone was used since ages in the past for various purposes by our Ancestors. They have used it for Sculpting,

Good and durable construction material, to make the war memorials of our past Heroes who laid down their life

for motherland. The lime stone is also being used to manufacture of the Cement. As a stone, it was mainly used

for road base, paving, ready mixed concrete, and asphalt. Sandstone is used for garden wall and for landscaping.

Similarly, Basalt is mainly quarried and crushed and used as road-base and reinforced concrete as an aggregate.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

Stones are used for varied purpose like Building material for foundation and walling of buildings, dams and

bridges. It was also used to make Stone wall, Roof tile in the form of Slates. The Murram is used for covering

the base of the road surface. The Granite, another type of stone is used for architectural construction, ornamental

and for monuments. Apart from all these varieties, marble is used on the large scale in the construction industry

for aesthetic purposes, beautification, and strength of structure. It was also used extensively to build Temples,

Churches, and Castles in the past.

In view of the above various uses of the Stone and its strong and weather resistant properties, its demand is

constantly growing. So, as the demand for stone is growing, naturally we need to go for increasingly quarrying

activities.

2.3. Domestic Market

As the infrastructural developmental activities are growing day by day due to increased population and industrial

growth, there is always demand for the stone material for various uses. In and around the area of project site,

there is lot of demand for the material for construction of roads, Railways, housing and in industrial area. Hence,

there will be good demand from the local market. If the quarries are not working properly and unable to give

desired output, there will be stunted growth which will directly affect the local, regional and national economy.

And, also it will add into the environmental damage of flora and fauna due to excavation of sand from the River

bed beyond the capacity.

Therefore, to fulfil the routine and increasing requirement / demand of material more numbers of quarries are

required to be operated efficiently and effectively to protect the environment and health of the workers. To fulfil

the demand supply gap, M/s. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal proposes mining at Pimpale in the district of

Ahmednagar.

3.0. Employment Generation

There will be scope for direct employment of skilled and semiskilled persons from the local areas and it will help

to uplift the standard of living of locals and downtrodden families living in the nearby areas. Apart from direct

employment, there will be an opportunity for indirect employment from the area. It is observed that People from

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

the area are not much qualified and are in the need of employment. Apart from above opportunities, there will

be requirement of Trucks and Tippers with Drivers and Cleaners to take care of different activities.

4.0. Geology

The entire area of Ahmednagar district is covered with Deccan Trap lava flows. These volcanic rocks (Basaltic

flows) are the product of fissure type eruption of upper Cretaceous to lower Eocene age and popularly known as

Deccan traps. It is found that alluvium has been deposited all along the course of major Rivers. These lava-flows

are sometimes associated with inter-trappean beds such as limestone, sandstone, clay shales, red bole beds, and

porous ash or scoriaceous beds. Thin mantle of black cotton soil, river alluvium, sands, gravel, clays and silts

represent the recent deposits in the district. Calcareous concretions and nodules, known as kankar, is commonly

associated with the soil, more concentrated near the stream-courses.

Rock types: Every flow of the basalt is generally composed of two different units: (a) the lower and middle parts

are hard and compact, dark grey to greenish grey or black in colour and almost non-vesicular or very minutely

vesicular. They are traversed by numerous joints and fractures on weathering at the surface give rise to spheroidal

blocks with inter-spaces between the spheroids filled with soft weathered material, (b) the upper parts of the

flows are comparatively soft and vesicular. They have reddish pink to purplish colour and the vesicles almost

everywhere filled up by zeolites and at places by other secondary minerals like calcite, greenish chlorapatite,

quartz or ferruginous material. The thickness of the flows ranges from 3 m to as much as 40 m, the average

thickness being around 15 m. According to Roy (1948), the thickness of the volcanic rocks is around 900 m.

The basalts are composed of plagioclase feldspars and clinopyroxenes, usually augite or pigeonite, with iron ores

and other minor constituents. They exhibit porphyritic texture wherein thin laths of plagioclase and feldspars are

set between the plates of augite. Such porphyritic trap having minor laminations or patches of pink, vesicular

trap, is exposed in the Mula river bed near Ahmednagar cantonment. The porphyritic trap is hard and compact

but the vesicular portions are comparatively soft and weathered. Climbing up the right bank-cliff, this porphyritic

variety is traceable right up to 754 m from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). Where it is over-laid by 0.6 m thick red

clay followed in turn by a series of pink or green, highly amygdular lava beds, the total thickness of the section

being around 20 m. The amygdular varieties are characterised by geodes or vesicles of various shapes, varying

from round to elliptical bodies, sometimes in the form of mere stringers or veins, following the bedding or

running irregularly in the trap. Their size varies from that of peas to bigger bodies which are usually not inter-

connected. The removal of infillings, e.g., calcite, zeolite, quartz, etc. due to action of running water and

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

weathering has brought about a marked porousness giving rise to a type of cellular or spongy traps at the river-

banks.

Red bole beds: These are thin reddish horizons occurring in-between the successive flows of basalt and are

exposed in discontinuous patches. They are very well exposed along the hill-sides.

Calcareous Kankar: These are either associated with soil or occurring as small nodules or concretions either

associated with soil or as infillings in cracks, fissures, and joints in rocks. Whitish kankar clay are commonly

seen in the cliff at both the banks of Mula River near Ahmednagar Cantonment.

Soil and alluvium: Black cotton soil is the ultimate product of decomposition and weathering of basalt. This is

highly absorbent and cracks and crumbles after a period of long drought. Recent alluvium and consolidated

gravels have attained a thickness of 24-30 mm on the right bank of the Mula River near the dam-site.

The regional strategic sequence in the region is as follows:

Sr. No Type Structure / Contents

1 Age Lithology

2 Recent, Sub recent Laterite Bauxite, soil and sand etc.

3 Upper Cretaceous to Eocene Basaltic lavas flows (Deccan Trap Basalt

The entire area of the region is covered with Deccan Traps Basalt. The rocks are exposed and there is no

vegetation. The petrological composition of the Deccan Basalts is singularly uniform. The most common rock

is normal basalt with mean specific gravity of 2.9. Most of Basalt is exposed at the Hill slopes. Surface plan and

geology of the area is shown in different plates of Mining plan.

5.0. Topography

The survey was conducted using Pentax Station and GPS Instrument and surface plan was prepared. Latitude

and longitude measurements were taken by using GPS Instrument. All these reading is taken with respect to

MSL. It is observed that area is rectangular and major dimensions along with East – West direction. The length

of area is about 130 m and width is about 55 m. The bench mark is at Boundary pillar 4 which is at 690 m from

MSL. There is even slope in the area. Overall downward slope of the area is from south to north with lowest side

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

near the north western boundary while highest level is towards southern boundary. The lowest contour in the

area is 690 m MSL, while the highest is at 720 m MSL. No specific drainage pattern is observed in the area of

study, however, natural flow of water during monsoon shall be south to north. The area is part of private, virgin,

and non-forest land. There is no vegetation in and around the area as it is completely rocky in nature. There is

no human settlement within impact zone of the project. During survey, no ground water is encountered in the pit

or anywhere in this area. There is good network of local as well highways network at distance of from 04 to 55

km from all the sides.

Land Forms: There are different types of land forms in Ahmednagar district. There are hill ranges of Sahyadris

in the western part of the district. They are called Kalsubai, Adula, Baleshwar and Harishchandragad hill ranges.

Kalsubai, the highest peak lies in Ahmednagar district. In the northern part of the district, plains are found along

the banks of the rivers Godavari and Pravara. Based on the physical setup, there are three main physical division

such as Western Hilly region, Central Plateau region and Northern and southern plains.

The area is virgin in nature and there is no pit or other any kind of water storage. It is part of private, non-

agriculture, no-forest land. It is hard and rocky in nature without any type of vegetation on it. No settlement or

any agriculture field was observed in the area. No ground water is encountered in the area. This area falls in the

rain shadow belt. It lies in the agro-climatic zone, western plateau, and hill region of western Maharashtra which

is known for scarcity zone. It has moderate temperature climate with average temperature ranges from 12.3 to

38ºC. In the recent times, highest recorded temperature was 43.7ºC on 9th May 1960 and lowest was 2.2ºC on 7th

January 1945. The average recorded humidity was found in the range of 60 to 80% and the average annual

recorded rainfall is in the range of 484 to 879 mm.

6.0. Proposed Mining method

The stone shall be obtained from area by a digging, blasting or cutting. This process is known as quarrying and

the pit or open excavation from which the stone is obtained is called a quarry. Based on the excavation method,

quarries can be divided into two broad categories: vertical Quarries and horizontal Quarries. In the digging, when

the stone is obtained in the form of raw material, the walls of the quarry are known as a vertical Quarry whilst

stone gathered from the bed or floor is known as a Horizontal Quarry. The drilling and channelling is also

performed sometime using hand chisels and hammers. Many quarries now have mining machinery, such as

dampers, trucks, hammer and Excavators. Once the stone is obtained it is further processed for the next stage of

production. In this process, open cast mining shall be followed. The drilling and blasting will be carried out to

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

produce required size of crude rock. This rock shall be fed to the crusher. This mining activity shall consist of

following operation / steps:

i) Removal of morrum soil, weathered basalt, wherever available and stack at dumping site

ii) Mining of Basalt

iii) Removal of mined ROM to surface yard for proper sizing, sorting and stacking

Opencast Working:

Each cycle of operation shall consist of removal of morrum soil, weathered rock / basalt wherever present,

followed by extraction of exposed basalt subject to following condition shall be strictly complied

1. Quarrying operation shall be conducted from top to bottom

2. No person shall be engaged on work or allowed to travel close to high sides / benches from which he

may likely to fall from more than 1.8 m height vertically down, unless he is provided with and uses a

safety belt or rope

3. A garland drains of 7.5 m of barrier will be maintained

4. At surface all along the boundary of site vegetation growth will be generated to isolate mining operation

from the rest of the area

5. The surface drainage channels governing the water drainage of the area will be maintained by proper

garland drain to collect the water at the periphery of excavation and discharge the same at the natural

outlets by passing the excavation

6. Wherever top morrum soil is excavated would be stacked properly for the use of vegetation

6.1 Plant and Machinery

As mentioned above, monthly production is computed based on the six working days per week. Following

equipment and machinery shall be required to carry out the mining operation efficiently and scientifically.

Compressor

Jack Hammer

Poclain

Dumper / Tipper

Tractor

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

Drilling Machine

Trucks

6.2. Blasting

Proper blasting whole geometry shall be designed

Blast site shall be wetted before and after blasting operations are completed

Only optimum quantity explosives shall be used so that the vibrations do not damage the

structures/houses if the quarrying operations are close to human habitation

Blasting shall be conducted only during favourable weather conditions and day time and permissible

hours

The blasting operations shall be given publicity so that local people become aware of the blasting

activities being undertaken

The vibrations should be monitored periodically in consultation with the local Mining authorities

The storage of the explosives and its transfer to and the quarry area shall be strictly in accordance with

the conditions listed in the permission granted by Explosives Department

For getting quarried material, blasting shall be adopted. To carry out these blasting operations in a

scientific manner, advanced blasting procedures with skilled personnel shall be used

Depth of hole : 1.50 to 1.75 m

Blasting pattern : Single row blasting

Space between holes : 1.50 m

Consumption of : As per the requirement

Explosive

Charge per hole : 500 g gelatin along with detonator

and adequate length of safety fuse

6.3. Loading

As mentioned earlier that entire mining operation shall be manual nature. Loading of the material in the Trucks

shall be manual. Basalt after blasting will be fragmented as per the requirement to meet the demand. Thereafter

it shall be loaded to Tractors or Tippers for onwards dispatch to crushing unit.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

6.4. Storage of Explosive

The Blasting operation shall be carried out as per the requirement and convenient time, normally in the afternoon

depending upon the local conditions. A portable magazine box and other material will be brought by licensed

Shot Firer and blasting will be carried out. During blasting, care shall be taken so that nearby passers are aware

about the blasting operation. Even, during blasting, intimation shall be provided by use of speaker system so that

people at distance are aware of the operation and blasting to avoid any type of incidence.

6.5. Mining Drainage

a) The proposed area is on plateau portion with overall slope in the direction of north and west. There no

perennial water coursed in and around the area. However, Pravara River Flows in the South at 12.5 km.

During monsoon, surface water will flow following the natural relief of the area.

6.6. Haulage and Transportation of Material

It is a small mine and transportation of basalt will be carried out by Tractors / Trucks within the quarry and

onward dispatch to various customers will be by Tippers. Quarry can be approached by asphalted road from the

Village Pimpale.

6.7. Storage of Basalt

At any time, aggregate produced will be dispatched immediately after production to either Crusher or to the

Customers. In case of storage is required at the site, open space will be available in the large area for the open

storage.

6.8. Usage of Processed Material

The quarried material shall be used for the following different purposes mainly in the local areas including nearby

towns and MIDC as there is lot of demand for this material due to various development activities undertaken by

the locals and Government.

a) Housing

b) Road

c) Railway

d) Industries in MIDC

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

7.0. Safety and Health

To ensure the health and safety while working, following instructions shall be followed during blasting

operation. In-addition to these instruction, people working on the site shall be provided with earplugs and

muffs, Safety Shoes to avoid any type of damage to their feet while working near crusher or in the quarry.

They also need to be provided with the dust mask to avoid the inhalation of dust as it contains silica. During

drilling operations, life line with Safety belt shall be provided.

From blasting site, up to 500 m shall be marked as unsafe

1. Workers will be deployed with flags and whistle at boundary to give warning

2. Workers need to wear helmets

3. Sufficient time gap shall be kept during two blasts

8.0. Quality of Water

There will not be any impact on quality of water due to mining activity. There is no discharge of water or

any other effluent from this mine. There will be no generation of any toxic or hazardous substance which

may affect the quality of ground water. There will be no impact of mining on quality of water by the mining

operation as no water from other source is getting mixed with rainwater.

8.1 Water Demand

Table 3: Water Use and Quantity

Sr. no. Use Quantity (m3 /day)

1 Water Sprinkler 2

2 Plantation 2

3 Domestic 5

Total 9

There is no water or waste water generation form the site as only 10 Workers shall be working at the site.

Even there is no generation of solid and hazardous waste.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

9.0 Anticipated Land Use Pattern

Presently land is barren and not used for any useful purposed. It is lying vacant without any

Trees or other infrastructure facilities. Hence, this land will be used for proposed mining

activity as follows:

Table 4: Proposed Uses of Mining Area

Sr. no Proposed Uses of Area Area in Ha

1 Area of top soil spread for a forestation 0.66

2 Over burden dump -

3 Mineral Storage -

4 Infrastructure -

5 Mine Road 0.01

6 Buffer Zone 0.33

Total 1.0

10.0 Physical Infrastructures

The facility shall be provided with approach road which can be used for transportation of man, material, and

machineries. The power requirement will be met from the nearest power station. The labours, which will be

required to operate the quarry shall be made available from the nearby villages and those joined shall be

trained to suit the mining requirements. Health care, including provision of first aid at work site and periodical

medical checking of the employees. Other facilities such as rest room, food, and communication shall be

provided.

11.0 Rehabilitation and Resettlement Plan

There will be no requirement of any rehabilitation or resettlement plan to be adopted or implemented as the

land is private land and there is no habitation in and around the proposed project site.

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

12.0 Environment Management Plan

12.1 Air Pollution Control

Drilling

1) Drilling machine shall be fitted with dust suppression, collection and disposal arrangement

2) Deep wetting of drilling zones shall be done by water sprinkling before starting drilling

3) During the drilling operations, efforts shall be made to reduce dust generation by responding

appropriately

Blasting

1) Proper blasting whole geometry shall be designed and maintained

2) Blast site shall be wetted before and after blasting operations are completed.

3) Only optimum quantity of permissible explosives shall be used so that the vibrations do not damage the

structures/houses from the nearby areas if any.

4) Blasting shall be conducted only during favourable weather conditions and day time.

5) The blasting operations shall be given publicity in the local area on Speaker and other available media so

that local people become aware of the blasting activities being undertaken in the area.

6) The vibrations should be monitored periodically in consultation with the local Mining authorities.

7) The storage of the explosives and its transfer to and from the quarry shall be strictly in accordance with

the conditions listed in the permission granted by Explosives Department.

12.2 WATER POLLUTION CONTROL

Garland drains shall be provided around the working pits to prevent entry of rain water inside pit. Selection of

waste dumps site will be in non-mineralized zone of mining lease area. Water will be collected in the mines

sump after deposition of silts in the catch drain. The drain will be de-silted regularly and maintained properly.

12.3 NOISE POLLUTION CONTROL

Following steps will be initiated or undertaken to minimize the generation of the noise:

1. The latest machinery will be used during mining operation

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

2. Periodical preventive maintenance schedule will be maintained

3. Use sharp drill bits to reduce noise generation during drilling

4. Controlled blasting with adequate charge per hole will be practiced

5. Plantation will be done on the sides of approach roads, around rest shelter and workshop area which will

act as buffer zone to reduce the propagation of noise

6. Earmuffs will be provided to all operators and employees working near machineries involving generation

of high noise

7. Periodical monitoring of noise level at appropriate locations to measure the noise level so that required

control measures can be initiated in time

8. Training at regular intervals for use of personal protective equipment like earplugs & earmuffs will be

imparted to all employees

9. All the operators will be provided with earplugs & earmuffs.

12.4 GREEN BELT

33% Green belts surrounding the ML area and along the permanent roads shall be developed with tree species

having broad leaves, with minimum of three rows, keeping 5×5 m interval. Spacing between the tree saplings

shall be used for development of under growth. Mostly local varieties of plants are proposed to be planted to

improve the soil quality with humus and carbon over a span of five years. The detail plan shall be as presented

in below Table no.5.

Table 5: Plantation / Afforestation program

Year Area in Hectare Species of the Tree Number

I General Surface 0.05536 Pongia, Pinnatta, Azadicrta, Indica,

Babul and Imli 75

II General Surface 0.05536 Pongia, Pinnata, Azadicrta Indica 75

III General Surface 0.05536 Pongia, Pinnata, Azadicrta Indica 75

IV General Surface 0.05536 Pongia, Pinnata, Azadicrta Indica 75

V General Surface 0.05536 Pongia, Pinnata, Azadicrta Indica 75

Total 375

M/S. B. N. Gadakh Stone Metal

Survey No. 326/2/4, Village Pimpale, Taluka Sangamner, District Ahmednagar, State Maharashtra

12.5 Land

The total mining area shall be is 1.0 ha. Out of this, only 0.0100 ha will be utilized for roads and other

infrastructure required at the site, and rest shall be utilized for tree plantation and mining activities. This

excavated area can be effectively used as water reservoir in the future. The rest of the area will be converted into

the green belt with two row plantations. The post mining land use of the area will improve the overall ground

water regime and green cover in the area which create the positive impact on environment and enhance the

aesthetic / beautification of the mined and nearby area. Which will also contribute into the protection of the

environment.

13.0 Project Cost

Plant and Machinery 29 lakhs

Manpower 10 lakhs

Environmental Management Cost 06 lakhs

Total 45 lakhs

14.0 Conclusion

The surrounding inhabitants are mainly barren land due to rocky in nature and there is no habitation in and

around the site. The frequent drought prone condition leads to migration of the people to other areas.

Unemployment and underemployment are the main problems of the inhabitants. Opportunities for jobs in

activities such as mining serve as a source of permanent livelihood. To access the mine approach roads are/or

maintained by the operating company, which is also beneficial to the surrounding population. The village

roads are usually strengthened for transportation of minerals. The mined-out area is also becoming source of

water for villagers as good quantity of water can be stored in future. Thus, in the interest of mineral

development and to improve the social condition of the local habitants this project shall be considered for

the grant of EC