Factors Affecting the Illegal Mining Activities in Salanpur Coal belt of West Bengal

Abstract

This study attempts to provide a glimpse of the nature of illegal mining activities in Salanpurcoalbelt in West Bengal.We explore the socio-economic and demographic factors affecting the participation and volume of earning from illegal coal mining. The probability of participation in illegal coal mining along with its volume for the participants have been estimated applying double-hurdle models formulated by Cragg (1971). Salanpurcoalbelt scatters intotwo community development blocks namely Barabani and Salanpur in PaschimBardhaman district, West Bengal. In this empirical study we have purposively selected five villages from each of the two blocks. Among the five villages in each block three aremining villages and others are non-mining villages. The sample includes data of 500 households taking 50 households from each village. Households from each village have been selected using random number table to make the sample stratified random sample. Our systematic analysis reveals that in contrast to elderly, younger generations are more likely to participate in illegal coal mining activities with higher volume. Education is found as a critical factor which increases the likelihood to participate in illegal coal mining but does not affect the volume of illegal activities. Households with agricultural land and/or having cultivation as ancestor’s occupation are less likely to participatein illegal coal mining in Salanpurcoalbelt. However, poverty induces the persons to involve in illegal coal mining activity.