Mining continues to be an important economic activity in India. While acknowledging that reliable estimates of mining area and production are not available, TERI (2001) notes that India produces as many as 84 minerals comprising 4 fuel, 11 metallic, 49 nonmetallic industrial and 20 minor minerals. Interestingly, more than 80 per cent of the mineral production comes from open cast mines resulting into large quantities of overburden. The mining leases, numbering 9,244 are spread over 21 states on about 13,000 mineral deposits occupying about 0.7 million hectares representing nearly 0.21 per cent of the total land mass of the country. The aggregate economic value of the mineral production in 1999-2000 was approximately $10 billion

• Conservation and development: Conflicting choices
   

• Mineral extraction and processing: Implications on wildlife conservation
   

• Integrating biodiversity concerns in mine planning and lease renewal