ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF STONE CRUSHER QUARRY: A CASE STUDY OF SOLAPUR DISTRICT MAHARASHTRA.

Solapur is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra Solapur is located on major road and rail routes between Mumbai and Hyderabad, with a branch line to the cities of Bijapur and Gadag in the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Solapur, which has a flat or undulating terrain in general, has no important hill system. Solapur falls under the category of dry (arid and semiarid) climate conditions. More than 300 stone crushers quarry and crusher machine plants in Solapur most of them are illegal and beyond rules and regulations of environmental clearance of Ministry of Environment and Forest. Concerns due to quarrying activities i.e. blasts, noise, vibrations, dust, increase in siltation, stone missiles, environmental degradation, landslides, run off, Air pollution problems due to hot mix plant, stone crusher and ready mix plant in the vicinity of housing societies. During the study following observations were made intermittent noise of drilling and chiselling operations was also noted. This part of the hill has observed large landslides and segregation of the loose soil. This may further lead to increased siltation rate in the catchments of Hipperga Lake. The stone quarrying activities, on a large scale can have several environmental impacts such as effects of blasts, vibrations, stone missiles, loosening of earth thereby increasing the chances of landslides and siltation rates, aesthetics etc.