Open Coal Mine 照片檔

Panoramic view of the open coal mine belt at Cherrapunjee of Meghalaya at the eastern Himalayan zone. The people of Cherrapunjee and surrounding villages on the tableland have been resorting on mining of coal and limestone. The ravaged sides of the hills stand mute testimony to the unplanned and unscientific methods of mining adopted, which is locally known as "rat-hole mining". The coal in Meghalaya has a high Sulphur content and after reaction with water (during rainfall), this turns acidic polluting the water bodies in the mining areas and far down the hills.