Essay on Minerals Reserves in India

Essay on Minerals Reserves in India

1. Andhra Pradesh:

Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of chrysotile asbestos, barytes, mica, felspar, vermiculite, quartz, laterite, silica sand, dolomite and limestone. State accounts for 94% barytes, 61% ball clay, 70% corundum, 6% diamond, 42% calcite, 41% mica, 26% garnet, 23% ilmenite, 20% limestone and 15% dolomite resources of the country. State is endowed with the internationally known black, pink, blue and multicoloured varieties of granites. Krishna-Godavari basin areas of the State have emerged as new promising areas for hydrocarbons-specially natural gas.

Image Source: turnstone.ca

Andhra Pradesh claims the third position among the States in the country with a contribution of 7.81% to the total value of the mineral production. The share of Andhra Pradesh in the production of principal minerals was barytes 99.74%, mica (crude) 98.75%, felspar 43.27%, vermiculite 90.20%, quartz 7.81%, laterite 54.46%, silica sand 36.74%, dolomite 21%, clay (others) 12.69% and limestone 20% in the country.

2. Chhattisgarh:

Chhattisgarh is the sole producer of tin concentrates and is one of the leading producers of coal, dolomite and iron ore. State accounts for about 36% tin ore, 4% diamond, 18% iron ore (hematite), 36% coal and 11% dolomite resources of the country. The State is ranked second in the country and accounted for 9.7% of the total value of the production.

The important minerals produced in the State in 2010-11 were coal, bauxite, iron ore, dolomite and limestone, which together accounted for about 99% of the entire value of mineral production in the State. Chhattisgarh was the sole producer of tin concentrate. The State was the second leading producer of coal and iron ore with a share of 21.30%, 44.01% and 44.0% respectively in the country.

3. Goa:

Goa is well known for its iron and manganese ores. Bauxite and laterite are the other minerals produced in the State. Iron and manganese ore belts extend from South-East to North-West of the State. Important iron ore deposits are located in Bicholim, Sanguem and Satari talukas.

Manganese ores are associated with iron ores and occur as pockets of various sizes in a form of concretionary pebbles in shales. Important manganese ore deposits are confined to the Southern and South- Eastern parts of Sanguem taluka. Bauxite occurs in South-Eastern parts of Goa.

4. Gujarat:

Gujarat is the sole producer of agate, chalk, and perlite and is leading producer of fluorite (concentrate), fireclay, silica sand, lignite, laterite, petroleum and natural gas and bauxite in the country. State is the sole holder of country’s resources of perlite, 66% of fluorite, 28% of diatomite, 18% of bentonite and 12% of wollastonite.

The State was ranked sixth in the country and accounted for about 3.33% of the total value of mineral production in India during the year. Gujarat was the sole producer of agate, chalk and fluorite (concentrate) and the leading producer of bauxite and clay (others) in the country. The State was also the second largest producer of quartz, lignite, petroleum (crude) and natural gas (utilised) in the country during 2007-08.

5. Jharkhand:

Jharkhand carved out of Bihar in November, 2000 is one of the leading mineral producing States. It is one of the leading producers of coal, kyanite, gold, silver, bauxite and felspar. Uranium ore is being mined and processed by Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. (UCIL) for use as fuel in the country’s nuclear power reactors through four underground mines, an opencast mine, two processing plants and a by-product recovery plant, all in East Singhbhum district.

Jharkhand accounts for about 36% rock phosphate, 29% coal, 29% iron ore (hematite), 22% apatite, 22% andalusite, 18% copper ore and 5Vtr silver ore resources of the country. The State claiming fourth position in the country accounted for 8.6 % of the total value of mineral production during 2010-11. Jharkhand was the leading producer of coal and kyanite and second leading producer of graphite in the country.

The State was third leading producer of felspar and graphite during the year. Coal, the principal mineral produced in the State contributed 88.58% of the total value of mineral production in the State. The other principal minerals produced in the State were iron ore, bauxite, dolomite, gold and limestone.

6. Karnataka:

Karnataka has the distinction of being the main gold producing State in the country. The State is the sole producer of felsite and leading producer of iron ore, chromite and dunite. Karnataka hosts country’s 78% vanadium ore, 73% iron ore (magnetite), 42% tungsten ore, 37% asbestos, 33% titaniferous magnetite, 30% limestone, 25% granite, 22% manganese ore, 19% corundum, 18% dunite, 17%gold (primary), 13% kyanite and 12% iron ore (hematite) resources.

7. Madhya Pradesh:

Madhya Pradesh is the only diamond producing State and is the leading producer of copper concentrate pyrophyllite and diaspore. State hosts country’s 63% diaspore, 41% molybdenum ore, 56% pyrophyllite, 90% diamond, 24% copper ore, 17% rock phsphate, 13% each of manganese ore and 16% fireclay and 70% ochre resources.

8. Maharashtra:

Maharashtra is the sole producer of corundum and is the second largest producer of manganese ore after Orissa. The principal mineral-bearing belts in Maharashtra are Vidarbha area in the East and Konkan area in the West. The State was the largest producer of manganese ore sharing 33% of total production of the mineral.

9. Odisha:

Odisha is the leading producer of chromite, graphite, bauxite, manganese ore, iron-ore, sillimanite, quartzite, pyroxenite and dolomite. The State hosts country’s sole resources of ruby and platinum group of metals. It accounts country’s 95% chromite, 92% nickel ore, 69% cobalt ore, 55% bauxite, 51% titaniferous magnetite, 40% limestone, 36% pyrophyllite, 33% iron ore (hematite), 26% sillimanite, 25% each fireclay and garnet, 24% each coal and zircon and 20% vanadium ore resources.

10. Rajasthan:

Rajasthan is the sole producer of jasper, lead & zinc concentrate and wollastonite. Rajasthan was the sole producer of garnet (gem) till 2004-05. Almost entire production of calcite and natural gypsum in the country comes from Rajasthan. State is a major producer of asbestos, copper concentrate, ochre, phosphorite/ rock phosphate, silver, steatite, ball clay, fluorite and felspar.

The State is also an important producer of marble having various shades. Makrana area is world famous centre for marble mining. Country’s more than 90% resources of wollastonite, lead & zinc ore and potash are located in Rajasthan. The State produces almost all varieties of minerals in the country. Rajasthan was the sole producer of jasper, lead concentrate, zinc concentrate and wollastonite.

11. Tamil Nadu:

Tamil Nadu is leading producer of garnet (abrasive), graphite, lignite, magnesite, lime kankar and dunite. State accounts country’s 80% lignite, 74% vermiculite, 63% dunite, 65% rutile, 52% molybdenum, 49% garnet, 32% ilmentie and 27% sillimanite resources. The State contributed 2.8% in the total value of mineral production in the country during the year 2007-08.