Icthyodiversity in the Coal Mining and Adjacent Non-Coal Mining Drainages of Jaintia Hills, India

The study deals with an assessment of the fish diversity in the water bodies of coal mining and adjacent non-coal mining areas of Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya. The water bodies in mining areas have been adversely affected by contamination of acid mine drainage (AMD) originating from coal mining operations by private coal miners. Certain parameters such as low pH, high conductivity, high metal content and low dissolved oxygen are some of the implications brought about by coal mining activity which has resulted in the decline or total loss of fish fauna in the coal mining areas of the region. In the water bodies of the coal mining areas where pH is approximately 4.0, only one species, Brachydanio rerio was found. However, survey of fish diversity in water bodies not impacted from the mining area revealed a total of 38 fish species belonging to 28 genera under 14 families and 6 orders. Diversity was higher in water bodies of lower altitude with a recorded Ħ of 2.2201 as compared to water bodies in higher altitude with Ħ of 1.5396. Cyprinidae represents the majority of fishes surveyed in all rivers irrespective of the altitude.