Heavy metal contamination in groundwater due to mining activities in Sukinda valley, Orissa - A case study

Sukinda Valley, Orissa is known for its chromite ore deposits. The open cast mining for chromium is being carried out since 1950. The extraction of chromite has mostly been carried out by open cast and at few places by under ground mining methods. The possibility of leaching contaminants from the ore material kept in the open ground or from the wastages or degraded ore material produced during the mining processes may contaminate the groundwater in the study area. There is also a high
possibility that the contaminants will move to the aquifer system from the seepage of bottom floor of the mining quarry. In order to assess the chemical quality, groundwater samples from different part of the study area for post and pre-monsoon period have been collected and analyzed for various contaminants.