Land management

RECLAIMED LAND — Erosion Control, Soil and Ecology: Dr. Martin J. Haigh — Editor; Published by A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Brookefield, USA. Rs. 3,500.

THIS BOOK is presented as the first volume in a series of monographs and thematic collections of review and research papers. It is sponsored by the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (Europe) and is addressing a wider spectrum of land management issues rather than traditionally describing the soil and water conservation/ erosion and sediment control.

Twenty authors from seven different countries in the world including India, have contributed in 14 chapters on various aspects of land reclamation, viz. aims of land reclamation, monitoring the long term liability of reclaimed mine sites, erosion in opencast coal mines, erosion control: principles and some technical options, hydrological management of open-cast coal mine sites, five case studies - role of grass, vegetation, erosion and soil development, forestation controls erosion, geo ecological reconstruction of coal mine disturbed land, ecological and economic efficiency of forest reclamation of coal spoil banks.

It is a new vista in land reclamation after surface mining for coal in different countries and the experiences will be useful for all those who are in the job throughout the world. Dr. Haigh, in his chapter on the aim of land reclamation, has stated that its aim is to return the land to the bio cybernetic, self- creating control of nature. In the chapter minimising the long- term liabilities of reclaimed mine sites, the authors have stated that neglecting the long term impacts may result in unexpected financial obligations. It has also detailed the strategies for determining acceptable sediment yield for reclaimed mine lands.

The acceptable erosion rates may be achieved by incorporating sustainable landscape features in reclamation plans. Under "Erosion on opencast coal mine lands", characteristics of erosion in reclaimed area, various types of erosion and models are detailed indicating that the land reclamation strategies have to be holistic approach.

Dr. Haigh, in the chapter on "Erosion control: principle and technical options", has detailed three kinds of erosion control technology for reclaimed lands - conventional, mechanical, bio technical and ecological. The targets for erosion control are fit land use to terrain, minimise soil exposure, retain vegetation cover, protect denuded surface, divert surface runoff, minimise length and steepness of slopes, keep runoff velocities low, provide drainage, trap sediment etc. The best route to erosion control on this land is to design landscape that will not suffer accelerated runoff or erosion and not require erosion control structures.

The other measures indicated in subsequent chapters are by combination of biological and engineering works and the measures detailed are contouring, contour bunds, terraces, contour ditches and stabilisation structures. M. P. Kilmartin, stating that the success or failure of land reclamation depends on the management of surface runoff and drainage, details the hydrological management of reclaimed opencast coalmine sites. The role of grass in overland flow and erosion is detailed emphasising that the soil loss increments for grass surfaces are 200 to 300 times smaller than on unvegetated surface.

In the chapter "Soil stewardship on reclaimed coal lands," the author describes in main dealing with its eight components in turn. It also evaluates the problem that results from human interventions including trafficking, forestation and soil reconstruction.

Under the chapter "Forest recultivation of coal mined land - problem and prospects", the author has extensively described the importance of vegetation, trees - selecting trees and shrubs, forest development, nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs, identifying trees for vegetation and planting techniques in detail. The prospects for successful reclamation, ultimately depends upon the commitment - social, political and economic - to repair the damage done in extracting the earth's underground riches.

In the last chapter four case studies - viz., vegetation, erosion and soil development on lignite spoil banks, and forestation controls, erosion on coal briquette spoil banks both in Bulgaria, geo ecological reconstruction of coal mine distributed lands in Jharia coalfield in India and Serbia's ecological and economic efficiency of forest reclamation of coal spoil banks are discussed in detail giving experimental plans and research results in a comprehensive manner. The information will be useful for development of lignite and coalmine disturbed lands.

This book, the first in the series of monographs and thematic collection of review and research papers, is somewhere between series like advances in agronomy and the FAO conservation guides. Though this book is little costly, it can be a good addition to all libraries in the country.

R. K. SIVANAPPAN

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