Resources of Important Minerals

RESOURCES OF IMPORTANT MINERALS.

Coal    :    State of Maharasahtra is endowed with large deposits of coal.  The resources of coal in the State occurs in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Wardha districts so far 5576 million tones of coal reserves are proved in the State. 

 

Manganese Ore   :    The manganese ore deposits occurring in Central India are supposed to be the most promising deposits in the Country.   The chief ore deposits in Maharashtra occur as an arcuate belt passes through Kandri-Mansar area of Nagpur district, which forms the middle portion of the belt- Dongri Budruk and Sitasaongi in Bhandara district.   Maharashtra is one of the leading Manganese ore producing State in India.    Almost all Manganese ore production of the State comes from Nagpur and Bhandara.   At  present, the manganese ore in this area is mined by the public sector undertaking, namely the Manganese Ore India Limited and by several other small private mine owners.    Besides, small occurrences of low grade manganese ore are found in Sindhudurg district.   The total reserves of manganese ore in the State are estimated at 20.85 million tonnes .   The manganese ore mined in the State, is mostly utilized in the manufacture of ferromanganese, silicomanganese and iron and steel industries and to a small extent in production of battery cells.  

Iron ore    :   Important iron ore occurrences in the State are confined to the districts of Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Gondia and Sindhudurg.   Out of the total estimated reserves of 260.824 million tonnes of  iron ore, the Gadchiroli district alone accounts for 178 million tonnes, the rest 75.38 million tonnes being from  areas of Sindhudurg & 2.18 millin tonnes Chandrapur districts.    The iron ore deposits around Surjagarth in Etapalli tahsil of Gadchiroli district is the biggest deposit in the State.

Limestone   :    Extensive deposits of limestone occur in Yavatmal and Chandrapur districts of the State.    Limestone is used for manufacturing cement, as flux in iron and steel industry and in the industries like paper, sugar, textile etc.   The estimated reserves of limestone in the State are 1371.425 million tonnes.    The limestone deposits are mostly located in Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Gadchiroli districts.    Minor deposits are located in Nagpur district in the form of calcitic and dolomitic marbles in the Sausar Group of formations.    The cement grade limestone is mostly confined to Rajur, Mukutban, Sindola-Paramodoh, Gowari-Pathri, Velabai-Kurai areas in Yavatmal district, Awarpur-Bakardi, Nokari-Kusumbi, Chandur-Thutra, Gojoli Somanpalli , Chedwai-Bari, Nandgaon-Ekodi, Lakhmapur-Pimpalgaon etc. areas in Chandrapur district and Devalmari-Kate palli area in Gadchiroli district.
 

Dolomite    :    Extensive deposits of dolomite occur in the districts of Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Nagpur in the State.   Some of the dolomite produced in the State is at present utilized as flux in the iron and steel industry, as dust in the coal mines and for manufacture of mosaic tiles, etc.
 

Kyanite and Sillimanite    :    The mineral kyanite  & sillimanite occurs in Bhandara district of the State.   It is used for manufacture of high grade refractory required for various metallurgical industries, cement manufacture, glass manufacture etc., where generation of high temperature is involved in the process.   The estimated reserves of kyanite and sillimanite of all grades in the State are of the order of 2.61 million tonnes.    The important occurrences are near villages of Pohra, Dahegaon, Pimpalgaon, Dudhala, Pardi, Jamgaon, Nawargaon etc. in Bhandara district.
 

Bauxite   :   Bauxite is the chief ore of aluminium.    It occurs as cappings on the hills in Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Raigad Satara and Thane districts.   The total reserves of Bauxite in the State are estimated at 112.951 million tonnes.    Bauxite produced in the State, is utilised for manufacture of aluminium by the HINDALCO  & other private enterprenurs in the state.
 

Silica Sand    :    The silica sand deposits in the State are mostly confined to Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Kolhapur districts.    The total estimated reserves of silica sand in the State are of the order of 58 million tonnes.   The silica sand produced in the State is mostly utilised for foundry industry in the State.    Small quantity is also utilised for glass manufacture.
 

Copper ore    :    Copper has undoubtedly the widest application of all the non-ferrous metals.   Its physical properties provide a combination of a number of extremely useful characters which have provided it with the high position it holds amongst the base metals.   Copper ore occurrences have been observed at Thanewasna, Dubarpeth in Chandrapur district, Pular-Parsodi, Ranbori-Kolar-Tambekhani, Ranmangli, Kitari, Thutanbori, etc. in Nagpur district.   Geological Survey of India has carried out the exploration work in the Thanewasna and Thutanbori areas of Chandrapur and Nagpur districts respectively and GSI has indicated total reserves of Copper ore to be of the order of 7.70 million tonnes with copper content ranging from 0.81 to 2.73%.
 

Gold    :    Gold is the basic metal of currency and coinage and so having a important high position in the metal group of minerals.   The investigation for gold has been carried out in the State by Geological Survey of India .    Detailed investigation carried out by GSI in the Parsori ( west block) of Nagpur district has indicated good potential which is subject to further detailed exploration.
 

Tungsten ore    :    Tungsten is a strategic mineral which is widely used in electrical and electronic industries.    It has wide application in space technology, steel industry, etc.   The tungsten ore occurs in Kuhi, Khobna, Agragaon, Ranbori, Kolari-Bhaori areas of Nagpur district.   The reserves estimated for tungsten in the State is about 19.98 million tones.   Geological Survey of India and Mineral Exploration Corp. Ltd. have carried out vigorous exploration work for tungsten in the above said localities.
 

Zinc Ore    :    Zinc is used in the various types of alloys, in manufacture of dry batteries, in textile industry, rubber industries, chemical and metallurgical industries etc.   Zinc ore occurs in few localities of the State mostly in Nagpur district i.e. Anjani, Tambekhani, Kolari-Bhaori areas.   The total reserves indicated by GSI in Nagpur district are abo;ut 8.27 million tonns with 5.4% Zn.
 

Chromite  :   Chromite is mostly used in metallurgical, refractory and chemical industries.   Small deposits of chromite are known to occur in Nagpur, Bhandara, Sindhudurg and Chandrapur districts of the State.   The deposits of chromite in Sindhudurg district are located near Kankavali and Wagda and in Bhandara, Nagpur and Chandrapur districts, near the villages of Pauni, Taka, Dhamangaon and Ballarpur respectively.   The State Department has proved 0.661 million tonnes of Chromite in the State.
 

Baryte :    Mineral baryte is known to occur in Phutana, Dewada etc., areas in Chandrapur district.   However, total reserves from various localities are estimated at only 0.136 million tonnes.   Baryte is mostly used in oil-well drilling and paint industry.
 

Agate stones   :   Occurrences of agate stones are known in Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Buldhana and Ahmadnagar districts in the State.   These stones are utilised for manufacture of fancy items like paperweights, ashtrays, pendants, necklace, buttons, etc. after slabbing, cutting, grinding, polishing and lapping.
 

Minerals like clays, felspar, ochre, etc. occur in small quantities at several localities in the State.
 

Decorative Building Stones   :    The Building stones suitable for decorative purposes have been discovered in Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Nanded, Sindhudurg and Thane districts of the State.   These include Granites, Gabbros, Syenites, Dolerite, Basalts, Sandstones etc.    About 260 million cubic meteres of various decorative stones have been indicated  so far by the State Geology and Mining Department.
 

In addition, the State has vast resources of minor minerals in the form of building material like stones, murrum, sand etc.