Application of Vegetation Index to Assess the Sustainability of Coal Mines in India

India’s per capita electricity consumption is less than one-third of the global average. Coal is the only energy source that India possesses in abundance to meet the 24×7 electricity requirements of its people in a cost-effective manner. While mining operations have positive economic impacts on the local area in terms of infrastructure development and provision of employment and business opportunities for the local population, they also create adverse impacts on the environment. These impacts are particularly significant in the case of opencast coal mines which produce more than 94% of the coal produced in India. The coal sector must incorporate social and ecological sensitivities into the mining process from the planning stage up to mine closure to meet India’s Sustainable Development Goals. In this study, the authors present the results of a study on the vegetation and air environment around four opencast coal mines in the State of Telangana. The Normalized Vegetation Difference Index (NDVI) is useful to assess the environmental impacts of mining operations, such as the air quality and vegetation around coal mines, and also monitor the progress of post-closure activities. The findings of this study are relevant for other coal mines.