It must be said that hill-cutting and conversion of fields for housing projects by filling them with earth is going on unabated in the state. A lot of damage has already been done since a significant amount of illegal hill-cutting activities have been taking place. The impact of cutting of hills and filling low-lying fields are multifold. Landslides have been occurring across the state and hill-cutting is one of the prime reasons for this. Filling of low lying fields for housing projects obstructs the natural flow of water during the monsoon season leading to flooding. It is probably time to fall back on the land that is left unutilised such as abandoned mine lands. This land if not attended to can pose serious threats to human health and the environment. However after the physical and environmental hazards are removed, the land can be reclaimed. Vegetation can be introduced and reforestation can be carried out. These abandoned mining pits could also be utilized for housing projects by filling them with earth and also use flat mine lands for real estate development.
