Effect of Coal Mining on Agricultural Land of Maiganga Coal Mining Area, Gombe-Nigeria

¹ADAMU  SANI  J., ²SABO AHMED, ²ALIYU  MELE  M. and ³MAHMOUD  AISHA  B.

¹Department of Geography, Gombe State University, Tudun Wada Gombe, Gombe  State, Nigeria.

²Department of Environmental Management Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi  State, Nigeria.

³Department Of Biological Sciences, Gombe State University, Tudun Wada Gombe, Gombe State, Nigeria.

E-mail: sanidaddy@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to identify the effect of coal mining on the agricultural land of maiganga coal mining area, Gombe-Nigeria. 75 questionnaires were administered to the locals, representing 15% of population of maiganga which is 300-500(2006 census). Percentage scores were used to analyze the data collected. The research has confirmed that 80% of the agricultural land at maiganga have been taking over by the coal mining company, 50% of the respondents agrees that there is a decline in their agricultural yield, 75% of the respondents agrees that there are new incidences of diseases, and also the research confirmed that 28% of the populace there are now unemployed because their farmlands have been taken over by the coal mining company. Therefore, the research recommend that government should make it compulsory the conduct of environmental impact assessment before the commencement of any developmental project even agricultural that is 50ha above to avoid a kind of damage that has been done to agricultural land at maiganga coal mine area.