20 1-2 19 zyxwvutsr Social Chmge zyxwvu : zyxwv September-December 1999: Vol. 29 zyx Nos. 3 & 4 Status of environment in Chotanagpur - Santal Pargana region of Jharkhand* Uday Kumar** Kalpana Prasad*** Binay Kumar**** The Chotanagpur - Santal Pargana (CSP), the ‘Ruhr of India’ has been the cradle of mineral exploitation and mineral based industries since the dawn of 20th century. The post-Independence era witnessed a rapid growth in heavy industries and subsequent urbanisation. To cater the energy need, coal based power stations were installed in Damodar valley. Such economic ventures were concentrated mainly in the Damodar and Subernarekha river valleys. These anthropogenic activities triggered a series of environmental degradation. Large scale deforestation led to wide spread soil erosion due to which loss of valuable topsoil and lowering of water table has taken place. The preference for open cast mining practice for more mineral exploitation especially coal, iron ore and bauxite has further aggravated the problem in this fragile eco-system. The discharge of large volume of untreated or semi-treated industrial effluents has literally turned the river Damodar into an “industrial effluent channel.’ Besides being unethical and inhumane, these acts are a gross violation of environmental laws. Ironically, the major culprit industries are public sector undertakings. Even the highly polluted ambient air in the mining and associated industrial areas, especially in the Damodar valley has * The authors extend their sincere thanks to the management of CCL, CMPDI, SAAIL- RDCIS, DVC and BIT, Mesra for their cooperation in providing relevant informations for the present work. They also thank the local newspapers and some NGOs for showing their concern for environment of Chotanagpur - Santal Pargana Plateau. ** Reader, Post Graduate Department of Geology, Ranchi University, Ranchi - 834008. *** Free-lance Research Worker in Anthropology. zyxw M - 4 Bariatu Housing Colony, Ranchi **** M. Tech (Remote Sensing) student, B.I.T. Mesra, Ranchi. - 834009.