Thaindian News

Jaipur, Dec 15 (IANS) Seeking to strike a balance between the needs of the industry and sustainable development, experts at a seminar Wednesday called for promoting sub-surface mining of stones and minerals, with equal emphasis on using secondary raw materials.

“Hill-top mining should be avoided and sub-surface mining should be promoted. A debate on this has already begun,” said V.S. Singh, Rajasthan’s additional chief secretary for forest and environment, at a seminar on stone technology here.

“Industry should not only use primary raw materials for manufacturing but should also use secondary raw material, available in abundance in the form of slurry, for manufacture of cement and other products,” Singh told said.

“Industry should promote large-scale mining in clusters using eco-friendly technologies. The government would like to encourage the planting of vegetation in adjoining areas,” the senior official added.

Sub-surface mining calls for digging of tunnels or shafts into the earth to reach buried mineral ore deposits and is considered more friendly towards environment than some other technologies like surface mining that strip the vegetation and top layers of soil.

The exposition was jointly organised by the Centre for Development of Stones (CDOS) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with support from the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation.

Acording to a representative of International Centre for Advancement of Manufacturing Technology (ICAMT) of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the institution will soon begin a second phase of association to promote mining.

The stress, said national programme coordinator M.S. Dhakkad, will be on introducing new technology upgradation programme in Rajasthan for stone mining, quarrying and extraction industries and bring them at par with international standards.

The focus of the programme, in collaboration with the Centre for Development of Stones, was to make the sector sustainable and prosperous with. As part of this programme, a fresh research project will also be initiate in universities and colleges.

Earlier, Rajasthan’s Principal Secretary for Industries Sunil Arora, who also chairs the CDOS, said the institution has provided a comprehensive platform to stakeholders such as quarry owners, equipment makes, traders and processing units.

“The stone industry is directly related to labourers, masons and architects and provides direct and indirect employment to about 500,000 people. The sector generates not only employment, but also revenues for the State.”

The focus of the seminar, which concludes Friday, is on areas like best global practices on stone quarrying, processing, finishing, waste disposal, utilisation, testing, quality control, certification, conservation and the use of stones in modern buildings.