Executive Summary : | Coal mining has been a global issue for centuries, posing significant environmental risks. The Jharia and Raniganj coal fields in India are particularly affected by abandoned underground mine workings at shallow depth. Over time, mining activities have led to changes in landform, air quality degradation, water pollution, deforestation, and damage to the ecological system. Many urban areas have been left with uncharted underground workings and mine entrances, which could pose hazards to development. Unapproachable underground mine shallow depth workings cause severe surface damage, including wide-cracks, large depressions, potholes, road blockages, and damage to buildings. As time passes, some parts of these workings become waterlogged, making it difficult to update their status. To assess the underground mine environment, surface geophysical measurements can provide a less expensive method. Surface-based geophysical techniques, such as electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), ground penetrating radar (GPR), seismic refraction tomography (SRT), and Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), can be used to map potential hazardous zones at shallow depth due to old abandoned mine workings. The multitask approach is considered the most economical, rapid, and best perceptive mode to find valuable subsurface information in these areas, especially in inaccessible old abandoned mine workings. |