ABSTRACT

The Himalayan region, a field laboratory for examining mountain-building processes for the geologists around the world, is distinct in many ways. Its orogeny (geological, geophysical, chemical and tectonic processes of evolution), rugged topography, history and structural features including ores and minerals provide plenty of scope for scientists to learn, for example mineralogical composition of the collisional ore deposit found in the Himalayan Mountains, and to get an idea of the chemical and tectonic processes. The correlative deposits found in these rocky terrains can provide information, for example, on the minerals likely to be present in other mountainous areas of the world. But here our focus is on exploitation rather than on exploration, and this calls for concentration on the eco-friendly aspects of Himalayan mining in general and with respect to the Indian scenario in particular. To get further details of the eco-friendly perspectives about Himalayan mining, the reader is advised to go through some novel solutions described in Chapter 4 as well. The reading in the consecutive chapters will generate practically applicable ideas in the reader’s mind. Having analyzed the Himalayan region and its characteristic features in general, let us switch to the further analysis which prompts us to look at the following pertinent questions:

1. Is there actual exploitation of minerals in the various other parts of the region including the Indian Himalayas?