Non-Metallic Minerals

India is fairly rich in the non-metallic minerals also. The geographical distribution of some of the important non-metallic minerals has been shown in Fig. 7.4.

Mica (Abhrak) Mica is an important non-metallic mineral used mainly in electrical industry as it has great insulating properties, can withstand high voltage and has low power loss factor. It is obtained from muscovite, biotite and phlogopite ores. The total reserves of mica in the country are estimated to be about 3.9 lakh tonnes (India 2010) (Table 7.11). Rajasthan accounts for about 51 per cent resources, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar (India 2012, p. 766)

Fig. 7.4 Metallic Minerals

Table 7.11 India: Distribution of Mica (2005-06)

Source: Statistical Abstracts of India, 2007.

1. Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pardesh is the largest producer of mica. It produces more than 71 per cent of the total mica production of the country. The micabelt of Nellore is about 100 km long and 25 km wide. Nellore mica is generally light green in colour. Mica is also obtained from Dudur, Khamma, Krishna, West Godavari, and Vishakhapatnam.

2. Rajasthan: The main mica belt of Rajasthan extends from Jaipur to Udaipur. It is also mined at Ajmer, Bhilwara, Dungarpur, Sikar, and Tonk.

3. Jharkhand and Bihar: Mica in Jharkhand and Bihar is found in a belt extending for about 150 km in length and 32 km in width from the eastern part of Gaya through Ilazaribagh, Giridh, and Munger to Bhagalpur. The main centre of mica production in Jharkhand and Bihar arc Kodarma, Dhorhakola, Dhab, Tisri, Chakai.

Mica is also found in Gujarat (Banaskanth, Vadodara and Sabarkanfha); Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri, Coimbatore, Salem, and Tiruchirapalli), Chhattisgarh (Bilaspur,

Bastar, and Surguja); Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat and Chhindwara); and Uttar Pradesh (Mirzapur). Some deposits are also found in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Ta b Ie 7.12 India: Production of Mica (1950-2006)

’Relates to dressed mica.

Source: Statistical Abstracts, 2007.

It may be seen from Table 7.12 that the production of mica was about ten tonnes in 1950-51 which rose to 3806 tonnes in 2000-01 and 1154 tonnes in 2005-06.

India is thelargest producer and exporter of mica in the world. It exports mica to Japan, USA, UK, Norway, Russia, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Saucer Series: It sprawls over Nagpur, Bhandar (Maharashtra), and Chhindwara district (Madhya Pradesh). Saucer series belongs to the Dharwarian Group. It largely consists of quartzite, micaschist, marble and magniferous rocks. Its mica is of light green colour.

Sakoli Series: It spreads over Jabalpur and Rewa districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is rich in mica schist, quartz, dolomite, and marble. The famousjabalpur marble is obtained from the Sakoli Series. It also contains gneisses of the Dharwar period.

Limestone: Limestone is an aggregate of calcium carbonate, carbonate of calcium and magnesium or a mixture of the two. Limestone also contains small quantities of silica, alumina, iron-oxides, phosphorus and sulphur. Limestone deposits are of sedimentary origin and exist in almost all the geological formations from the Pre-Cambrian to Recent except in Gondwana.

Limestone is used in cement, iron and steel, and chemical industries. The rapid industrialisation and urbanisation has resulted into heavy demand of this mineral, especially for the manufacturing of cement. The production trend of limestone in the country has been given in Table 7.13.

The Semri Series: This is the main series of the Lower Vidhyan formations in the Son valley. Its thickness is about 900 metres of limestonnes, shales and sandstone with intrusive dolerites and basalt. The upper most stage, known as Rohtas Stage is composed of limestone and shales which provides raw material to the cement industry in the region.

Table 7.13 India: Production of Limestone (1950-2006)

Source: Statistical Abstract of India, 2007.

It may be seen from Table 7.13 that in 1950-51 the total production of limestone was only 30 lakh tonnes which rose to 1620 lakh tonnes in 2005-06.

Limestone in some quantity is produced in almost all the states of India. Its main producing states are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu. The production and percentage of limestone in the important states of the country have been given in Table 7.14.

Dolomite: Dolomite is a type of limestone which contains more than 10 per cent of magnesium. It is used mainly in the metallurgical industry, especially in the iron and steel industry. The total reserves of all grades of dolomites are 7533 million tonnes (India 2012). The states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka are its main producers contributing 90% of the total production (Fig. 7.5). The state-wise distribution of dolomite has been given in Table 7.15.

Source: Statistical Abstracts of India, 2007.

Table 7.15 India: Distribution of Dolomite (2005-06)

Source.’ Statistical Abstract of India, 2007.

1. Odisha is the leading producer of dolomite accounting for about 29 per cent of the total production in the country, followed by Chhattisgarh with over 27 per cent. The share of Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand is 18.35 per cent and about 8 per cent respectively in the total production. Rajasthan and Karnataka contribute about 6 per cent each. It is mined in several other states also as given in Table 7.15.

Aabeatosi Asbestos has great commercial value due to its fibrous structure, and its resistance to fire. Il is widely used for making fire-proof clothes, rope, paper, sheeting, belt, fireproof safes, insulators, felts, aprons, gloves, curtains, brake linings in automobiles, and insulating mats. Asbestos cement products like sheets, slates, pipes and tiles are used for building puqruses. Mixed with magnesia, it is used for making 'magnesia bricks’ used for heal insulation.

Rajasthan is theleading producer accounting for about 95 percent of the total asbestos production of India- It is mined in Ajmer, Alwar, Dungarptu, Pali and Udaipur districts. Andhra Pradesh is the second largest producer. It is produced in Cuddapah District. It is also mined in Karnataka, Jharkhand, Madhya Ptadesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Nagaland.

Magnesite; Magnesite is used for manufacturing refractory bricks, special type of cement, tiles, fire-pnoof flooring and for extraction of tile metal magnesium, and in steel industry. The total reserves of magnesite in India are about 338 million tonnes (India 2012}. Its major deposits are found in Uttarakhand (68%), Rajasthan (16%) and Tamil Nadu (13%) . Its deposits have also been found in Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Kerala.

Tamil Nadu is the largest producer accounting lor over 74 per cent of the total magnesite production, followed by Uttarakhand (20 per cent) and Karnataka (6 per cent).

Kymite: Found in the metamorphic rocks, kyanite is used in metallurgical, ceramic, refractory, glass and rlecLrical industries. 1 lie total reserves of Kyanite are 103 million tonnes. India is the largest producer of kyanite in the world. Kyanite deposits are located inJharkhand, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. These three slates contribute almost tin: whole production of kyanite oJ'rlie cnunlry.

Gypsum: Gypsum is a hydrated sulphate of calcium which occurs as a white opaque mineral in beds of bands of sedimentary rocks like limestone, sandstone and shale. It is mainly used in making ammonia sulphate, fertilisers and in cement industry. It is also used in making plaster of Paris, ceramic industry, nitrogen- chalk, partition-blocks, sheets, tiles, and plastics.

The total reserves of gypsum are about 1237 million tonnes. Rajasthan is the leading producer of gypsum accounting for about 99 per cent of the tola! production of the country, it is obtained mainly from the districts of Barmer, Bikaner, Chum, Ganganagar, |aisalmcr, Jodhpur, Nagaur, and Pali. The remaining one per cent is mined in Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, and Madhva Pradesh. The total reserves of gypsum in India were estimated to be about 1237 million tonnes (India 2010).

Sillimanite: Sillimanite is used is ceramics, metallurgy, glass, refractory, automobiles and cement manufacturing industries. Its main characteristic is that it can withstand high temperatures.

The total reserves of sillimanite are 74 million tonnes, Odisha, contributing about 57 per cent of the total production, is the largest, producer of-sillimanite in India. Kerala is the second largest producer accounting for about 33 per cent of the total production, It is also produced in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Meghalaya, Assam (Karbi-Anglong). Madhya lYadesh, (Sidhi), West Bengal (Darjeeling, ESankura and Purulia), and Tamil Nadu (Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, and TiruehirappaJLi).

Diamond: Diamond is a precious stone. Il is known for its brilliance, luster, transparency and hardness. Diamond is mainly found in the Vindhyan formations of Bundelkhand. (M.P.), Andhra Pradesh (Kurnool, Anantapur), and Karnataka (Raichur). Patina District of Madhya Pradesh is the main diamond producing district in India. In India, the total diamond reserves is about 45.8 lakh crates (India, 2010).

Cutting and polishing of diamond is mainly carried on in Surat, Ahmedabad, Navasari, Palanpur, Bhavnagar, Mumbai, Khambat, Jaipur, Trichur, and Goa,

Ajabgarh Series'. Lying in the Rajasthan state, the Ajabgarh Series belongs to the Cuddapah and Lower Vindhyan group. It is rich in biotite-schist, quatzites, and impure limestonnes. It has inferior quality of iron ore, manganese, asbestos, slate, marble, and jasper.

Bhander Series: It belongs to the Vindhyan formation. The main rocks in the Bhander Series are sandstone, shale and limestone. The series provides good quality of building material besides diamond mines. The diamonds from the Bhander series are sent to Surat and Jaipur for polishing and finishing. Bijwara Series: It occupies parts of Chhataqjur and Parma districts of Madhya Pradesh. It is composed of sandstone, quartzite and limestone. It has basaltic intrusions whose dykes are rich in diamonds. The Panna diamond is famous all over the world for its transparency, brilliance, and hardness.

Rialo Series: This scries stretches from Delhi to Alwar. It belongs to the Archaean and Dharwarian groups. The famous marbles of Makrana, Rajnagar, and Bhagwanpura belong to this series. Limestone, marble, quartzite, and building material are the main minerals found in this series.

Atomic Minerals: Uranium and thorium are the main atomic minerals.

Uranium: deposits occur in Singhbhum and Hazaribagh districts ofjharkhand, and Gaya District of Bihar, and in sedimentary rocks of Saharanpur District of Uttar Pradesh. The largest source of uranium comprise the monazite sands, both beach and alluvial. Monazite sand rich in uranium is found in Kerala. Some uranium is found in the copper and zinc mines of Udaipur (Rajasthan). The total reserves of uranium as estimated by the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, are about 31,000 tonnes.

The important uranium mining centres of India are: (i) Jharkhand-Bagjata, Banduhurang, Bhateen, Jaduguda, Mohuldeeh, Narwapur and Turamdeeh, (ii) Meghalaya-Keleng-Pindeng, Maothabah, Shahiyong, and Vakheen, (iii) Andhra Pradesh-Lamb apur, Paddagtu and Tummalapalle.

Thorium: Thorium is derived from monazite. It is produced in Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan.

In addition to uranium and thorium, beryllium and lithium are also the atomic minerals found mainly in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Salts Salt is used mainly in chemical industry. Common salt (sodium chloride) is used as a food item. Salt is obtained from sea waler, brine springs and salt pans in lakes. The main producers of salt are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. Gujarat coast accounts for about 50 per cent of the total salt production of India. Sambhar lake of Rajasthan contributes about 10 per cent of the total salt production of the country. In addition to this, rock salt is obtained from the Mandi area of Himachal Pradesh. The Mandi salt is hard and massive and has to be blasted.

India exports small quantities of salt to the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia,Japan, Maldive, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Problems of Mining Industry: India is rich in mineral resources. The mining industry is however, facing a number of problems. Some of the problems have been described briefly in the following:

1. Ill-Defined Government Policy: There is no well defined government policy about the prospecting, extraction and processing of mineral resources. A large number of lessees and contractors look upon mines as a quick money-making proposition and use unscientific techniques for the extraction of mineral ores.

2. Obsolete Technology: The technology used in mining is generally old and obsolete. Consequently, there is great wastage of mineral wealth.

3. Inadequate Transport Facilities: The minerals in the country are not uniformly distributed. For their transportation, the railways are used which are not very efficient, leading to bottlenecks, scarcity, and higher cost of transportation.

4. Inadequate Exploration and Prospecting of Minerals: In the absence of trained geologists, there are many areas in Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharshtra, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand which have not been properly surveyed to explore the minerals.

5. Inadequacy of Funds: In the absence of inadequate funds, the infrastructure could not be developed in the areas of isolation and relative isolation where many of the most valuable minerals are found.

6. Lack of Awareness about Conservation: There is very little awareness about the exhaustible nature of the minerals and their conservation.

7. Export of Mineral Ores: The legacy of the colonial period is continuing and many of the basic minerals are exported to the developed countries of the world. Consequently, the minerals fetch low price in the international market.

8. Strikes and Naxalites: The mining industry is adversely affected by the frequent strikes of the miners and the Naxalites. The mineral rich parts of the country are unfortunately infested with Naxalites.

9. Mining is a hazardous industry in India. Hundreds of miners are killed every year. For example between 2008-2011, about 325 coal miners lost their life.

Conservation of Minerals: Minerals are the most valuable resources which are imperative for the economic development of the country. They are, however, non-renewablc, and can not be replenished in short geological period. A judicious utilisation of mineral resources is necessary to meet the growing demand of our population and to provide the minerals for the future generations. Some of the steps which can go a long way in the conservation of mineral resources have been given in the following:

1. Judicious Use: The available minerals need to be utilised judiciously.

2. Efficient Technology: For the mining, processing and consumption, efficient technology is required for which continuous research is to be done.

3. Alternatives to Minerals: Research should be done to find the alternative to the mineral resources.

4. Development of Infrastructure: There should be emphasis on the development of roads and other infrastructure to obtain minerals from the areas of isolation and relative isolation.

5. Location of Industries near the Mining Sites: The mineral processing and metallurgical plants should be located near the mining centres to reduce the transportaion cost and problems.

6. Recycling of Scrap: The scrap should be recycled and people, especially the students, should be made aware about the exhaustible nature of minerals.

7. Sustainable Mining: There should be emphasis on sustainable mining. The miners should be properly trained in the new technology of mining.

The National New Mineral Policy, 1993: After liberalisation and globalisation, the mining industry has been opened to the private sector. The main objectives of the New Mineral Policy, 1993, are as under:

1. Public Sector Mining: Under the New Mineral Policy the government will continue the exploration and prospecting of the mineral wealth of the country, wherein special attention would be paid for the development of (i) strategic minerals, (ii) those minerals in which India has poor or just adequate resource base, and (iii) those minerals which are required for electronic and high-tech industries.

2. Regular Supply of Minerals to Industries: To develop mineral resources taking into account the national and strategic considerations, the strategy of development would entail (i) a regular supply of mineral raw material for industrial production, (ii) exploration and supply should address the present needs as well as future long-term needs of tire country, (iii) adoption of efficient measures of processing of minerals and effective measures for conservation, and (iv) adoption of scientific methods of exploration.

3. Foreign Investment: The new mineral policy invites foreign equity and technology participation in exploration and mining of high value scarce minerals.

4. Check on Adverse Environmental Effect: In order to minimise theadverse effect of mining, social forestry will be an integral part of mining.

5. To Promote Research: To promote research and development in minerals, the new policy emphasises the promotion of research and development,

technology upgradation, research in mining methods, development and processing.

Thus, the New Mineral Policy, 1993, makes a significant departure from the exclusive control of the Government on the exploration and exploitation of major minerals. The entry of private sector may aggrcvate the situation by over-exploitation of minerals. Therefore, the government should take adequate and effective measures to overcome such a problem.