POST-MINING LAND USE DETERMINATION BASED ON LAND SUITABILITY ANALYSIS: A CASE STUDY IN BOKARO DISTRICT OF INDIAP.K. Singh and S. UpguptaAbstract Large scale coal-mining activities result in extensive environmental degradation. Appropriate ecological restoration is required to reduce these impacts of mining on the environment and ecosystems. The present study assesses the suitability of abandoned mining sites for conversion into forests and agriculture lands in Bokaro district of India. Land suitability analysis was carried out using selected topographic variables like elevation, slope, aspect, relief and distance from the rivers. Normalization and clustering techniques were used to classify the area into four land suitability classes namely unsuitable, less suitable, moderately suitable and highly suitable. For each of the selected mining sites, a suitable land use alternative was suggested for its restoration based on the analysis as well as past and present land use status. On the basis of the results, it was concluded that 28.7% of the site area in Govindpur and 33.9% in Kathara are highly suitable for transformation into forests or agriculture while other areas require substantial and preliminary land reclamation. The abandoned mine sites of Bokaro have a high potential for development into useful and attractive recreation point and plantation activities. |