Growing recognition of the importance of addressing environmental issues early in project planning is critical for incorporating sustainability assurances in planning of development projects in economic sectors. Mitigation of environmental damage by improving environmental planning, management and rehabilitation of areas and landscapes degraded by the mining and cement manufacturing units likewise is essential for achieving ecologically sustainable development.

The broad objectives of mitigation are to help safeguard resources to ensure that development is compatible with the environmental profile and biodiversity conservation priorities of the region. Although mitigation is a widely acknowledged approach to address ecological impacts, ecological solutions to engineered modifications of natural areas invariable fall short in offering complete and perfect solutions for arresting all impacts. Nevertheless, the merits of adopting well-conceived, pragmatic and feasible options for mitigating ecological impacts are generally realized in reducing the residual impacts and improving the prospects of conservation of valued components and features not threatened by project induced direct impacts. The success of different mitigation measures will however greatly depend on the scale of development and the nature of impacts.

Best practice approaches for mitigation of impacts on biological systems generally adopt measures for controlling the source of impacts and the exposure of the ecological receptors to them. The guiding principles for addressing biodiversity related impacts must follow responsible approaches. These approaches may require adopting the precautionary principle where the impacts are critical and irreversible and the ecological receptors are highly valued for conservation of biodiversity or when the mitigation is not feasible. For ecological impacts that are less severe and secondary in nature and for which mitigation is possible to achieve, strategies involving impact avoidance, compensation, amelioration, enhancement and restoration are adopted.

The section 6.0 of the report focusing on evaluation of project impacts highlight a range of impacts representing direct and indirect; physical and ecological; spatial and temporal; short term and long term; reversible and irreversible in nature and varying in magnitude and severity. This section of the reports attempts to outline options for mitigation of some of the key impacts of proposed project outlined through this study.

This mitigation plan is aimed to specifically focus on addressing the ecological and biodiversity related impacts anticipated from the proposed project.

• Mitigation of impacts on natural ecosystems within the project area
   

• Mitigation of impacts of mining on Tarambri DPF
   

• Mitigation of impacts on Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary