Assessment of Mining Lease Adequacy and Land Use Dynamics in Manganese Deposits of Vizianagaram District, South India

The study investigates the relationships among orebody geometry, stripping intensity, and adequate areal leasing in three open-cast manganese mines (A, B, and C) in the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt of India. The deposits are hosted in high-grade metamorphic Khondalite–charnockite assemblages and exhibit variable structural continuity, dip, and lens-shaped formation. An integrated geological–spatial assessment framework is applied, combining orebody characterization from approved mining plans with GIS-based land-use analysis and normalized efficiency metrics (stripping ratio, waste area per unit of extractable ore, ratio of undisturbed/inactive land). The results reveal that stripping intensity and surface occupation are notably near the boundaries of structural complexity and orebody discontinuity. High stripping ratios and waste intensity in Mines A and B (which exhibit irregular, pinching–swelling geometries with increased dip angles) progressively saturate their lease areas. Mine B is a spatially constrained system in which high stripping burden intersects with limited lease extent. Conversely, Mine C shows relatively high geological continuity and large untouched territory, leading to lower stripping intensity and greater operational flexibility. Rather than relying solely on regulatory limits, this analysis shows that lease adequacy is a function of coupled orebody geometry and surface land availability. Normalized spatial efficiency metrics provide a functional foundation for assessing extractability risk in structurally complex manganese deposits. Land-use assessment to create continuity in the geological picture is a key part of lease planning. This facilitates long-term material recovery and minimizes the risk of premature sterilization, particularly in high-grade metamorphic terrains.