Ellatzite-Med reclaims 2.5 ha using an agricultural drone
The activities were carried out on a 2.5 ha trial land area on the territory of the East Waste Dump in Ellatzite Mine Complex. The site includes two steep sections of the waste dump, with slopes inclined at 37°. The substantial level difference, rough terrain and slope steepness make these areas very difficult to access by people and are a real challenge for biological mine reclamation.
The difficult terrain provoked Ellatzite-Med’s specialists to generate new ideas. They offered an innovative approach – to grass the disturbed mine areas using an agricultural drone.
Agricultural drones are commonly used to spray and fertilise crops, but in this case the purpose was completely different. A team of experts applied a new type of biological reclamation on degraded mine lands. On top of the waste dump, a humus layer was placed to serve as a substrate for grassing. A special type of grass mixtures suited to high elevation sites has been selected
Reclamation of disturbed lands is an obligation of the company and is part of its large-scale programme for improving and restoring the environment in the region
