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Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad (Telangana State)

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2010 - 20142
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Subject: Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry × Author: MADHAVI, B ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESMENT (EIA) OF COAL OPENCAST MINING ON SOIL AND LAND RESOURCE ENVIRONS IN TELANGANA REGION
    (PROFESSOR JAYASHANKAR TELANGANA STATE AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, RAJENDRA NAGAR, HYDERABAD, 2014) MADHAVI, B; JAYASREE, G
    The present investigation was undertaken to study the impact of mining on soil in the opencast mines of Singareni colleries namely Srirampur, Medipalli, Bhupalapalli and Yellandu located in the Telangana districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam, respectively of Andhra Pradesh. The study also aims to characterize and classify the opencast coal mine soils of Telangana region and to evaluate them for soil suitability for major crops in that area. Soil samples were collected from Srirampur (Adilabad), Medipalli (Karimnagar), Bhupalapalli (Warangal) and Yellandu (Khammam) opencast mining areas of Telangana. A total of 32 pedons were escavated up to parent material or one meter depth (whichever is less), morphologically described and were characterized. Pedon sites were selected at 1.5 km distance from opencast mining in all four directions i.e North, South, East and West. Similarly, soil pedons were escavated at 4 km distance from opencast mining site in all four directions. Thus, a total of 8 pedons were escavated for each opencast mining. Surrounding each pedon within circumference of nearly 50 meters, 2 to 3 surface soil samples were collected in 2012 summer. The presumption in collecting soil samples within 2 km and beyond 2 km is that coal dust will be deposited back within 2 km from the opencast mining area as per the carrying capacity and direction of wind. Hence, comparision was made between within 2 km and beyond 2 km from the mining area. The pedons were morphologically described and important physical, physico-chemical properties, availalable nutrients and heavy metal status were determined by using standard procedures. The soils of the areas surrounding coal opencast mines in Telangana region were characterized and classified into Vertisol, Alfisol, Inceptisol and Entisol orders. Most of the soils were classified as Inceptisols and Vertisols. The surface samples were also analysed for physico - chemical and availalable nutrient status by using standard procedures. Most of the pedons of study area were sandy clay loam to clay in texture. The soils were slightly acidic to moderately alkaline in reaction and non-saline to moderately saline. The soil organic carbon content of soils beyond 2 km from mining was more than that of within 2 km from mining. The soils within 2 km zone were significantly lower in available NPK than beyond 2 km soils. This may be attributed to the intensive cultivation in this area as compare to within 2 km pedons and also high organic carbon content. The available sulphur content (mg kg-1) within 2 km distance from the opencast mining was significantly more than that compared to beyond 2 km from the mining activity. The higher sulphur levels within 2 km opencast mining than beyond 2 km was attributed to coal dust accumulation on soils which contains pyritic minerals. Also addition of mine spoil which contains more sulphur than native soil. The soils within and beyond 2 km zone of mining were sufficient in available micronutrient content viz., Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn except few samples in Srirampur, Medipalli and Yellandu which were found deficient in zinc only. Significantly higher amounts of heavy metals viz., Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni were observed within 2 km area than beyond 2 km area. Heavy metals like nickel and cadmium were above toxic limits in few pedons in all four sites viz., Srirampur, Medipalli, Bhupalapalli and Yellandu of opencast coal mining areas of Telangana region. Within 2 km zone of opencast coal mining soils were grouped under Land Capability Class IV and III except 18 per cent pedons were under LCC II. Whereas, beyond 2 km zone almost all soils were grouped under LCC III and II. Soils within 2 km zone opencast coal mining were evaluated as either moderately suitable or not suitable for paddy, chilli, cotton and maize whereas beyond 2 km zone was evaluated as moderately to marginally suitable. The important constraints identified were poor drainage, erosion prone due to very low saturated hydraulic conductivity, steep slopes and poor in soil fertility. The recommended management practices were broad bed and furrow method, crop rotation, mixed cropping, application of organic manures, growing of leguminous crops in rotation, organic mulches, tank silt, ridging, soil test based fertilizer application etc. It may be concluded that the soils within 2 km zone from opencast coal mining were contaminated with heavy metals and are not safe to cultivate food crops without taking necessary management steps.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    DELINEATION AND MAPPING OF SOIL AVAILABLE MICRONUTRIENT STATUS IN NIZAMABAD DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)
    (ACHARYA N.G. RANGA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY RAJENDRANAGAR, HYDERABAD, 2010) MADHAVI, B; JAYASREE, G
    micronutrient status of Nizamabad district and to depict the severity of deficiency of micronutrients viz. Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu. Georeferenced soils from 233 sites covering 35 mandals of Nizamabad district representing different soil types and cropping systems with help of soil map prepared by NBSS & LUP were collected randomly at 0-15 cm depth by adopting standard procedure of soil sample collection. Simultaneously the GPS points were collected and the soil samples were analyzed for various soil properties by adopting standard procedure. The results indicated that the soils were slightly acidic to alkaline in reaction, low to medium in organic carbon content and calcareous. The soils were low to medium in N content (kg ha-1) and medium in P2O5 and K2O content. The cropping systems significantly influenced the available zinc and iron status of soil. The lowest zinc content was observed in Rice-Maize systems and Rice-Rice systems in red and black soils respectively. Increasing pH had an inhibitory effect on the availability of zinc and copper, which attributes the precipitation of metallic cations under alkaline pH. Increase in calcium carbonate content also had negative influence on availability of Fe, Zn and Cu. The micronutrient status of the Nizamabad district was delineated and found that 27.8% of samples were deficient in zinc which indicates need for application of zinc to the crop for releasing optimum yield. Considering the very low, low, medium and adequate categories of micronutrients, the variations in zinc, manganese, iron and copper were mapped under ARC GIS environment. The percentage of soils had very low, low, medium and high zinc levels were 2.5, 19, 78.4 and 19 respectively. The available copper content was adequate in the entire district. However, the available Fe and Mn were low in 0.2% area. The available Fe content was medium and adequate in 57.7% and 42.1% respectively. The available Mn was medium in 74.9% soils and adequate in 24.9% soils of the district.