1Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Odisha, India
2School of Life Sciences, Sambalpur University, Odisha, India
Sponge iron solid waste dumps represent a distressed habitat and posses scare in the natural landscape of the area and such dumping sites therefore need urgent attention for their reclamation. Physico-chemical properties of 0, 1, 3 and 5 yrs old sponge iron solid waste dumps were analyzed. A comparative analysis of physical features of different age series sponge iron solid waste dumps revealed an improvement of textual (increase in clay and slit) and structural (decline in bulk density) properties along with the improvement in hydrological regime (water holding capacity and moisture content). pH of the different age series sponge iron solid waste dumps gradually shifted from alkaline range to the neutral range. The soil organic carbon, nitrogen and extractable phosphorous in the freshly laid dump was observed to be beyond the detection limit. However, with the increase in the age of the waste dumps, the carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous content showed progressive increase. C: N ratio was showing declining trend with increasing age of the waste dumps. Findings of the present study indicated the positive effect of soil supplementation and natural vegetation succession on the process of reclamation of the waste dump converting it into a natural ecosystem.
Sponge iron soil waste, physico-chemical characterization, derelict land, reclamation
