Coal gangue, a residue obtained during the coal mining process, accounts for 10–15% of raw coal produced. Usually, this coal gangue is transported and stacked loosely in the nearby areas. Long term piling up of this mine waste can volatilize large amounts of potentially toxic heavy metals which have the ability to infiltrate surrounding ecosystems. In the present study, coal gangue from an open cast mining area in Bhupalpally in Telangana state, India, has been analyzed for its physical and chemical characteristics. Further, column leaching test was performed to evaluate the leachability of selected heavy metal ions simulating field conditions using deionized double distilled water. The column tests proved that the selected heavy metal ions from coal gangue can be easily mobilized.