Revegetation of coal mine overburden dump (OBD) slopes by aromatic grasses

An integrated study comprising of two year field experiments on biological stabilization of dump slope using various aromatic grass species has indicated that bamboo (Dendrocalamus stricuts), “kashi” (Saccharum spontaneum), vetiver (vetiveria zizanodies), or lemon grass (Cymbopogon citrates can be considered as one of the options for the stabilization of coal mine overburden dumps. The grasses have good soil binding capacity which help to control soil erosion and improve coal mine overburden dump stability. Field observations on the growth performance of the bamboo, kahsi, vetiver and lemon grass have indicated maximum plant height of 325, 234, 141 and 96 cm, respectively after two years of growth. The growth performance of these aromatic grass varieties enhance the stability of dump slope significantly during the rainy season preventing dump failure and associated hazards in the mining areas