Minerals in Maharashtra, Mineral Ores in Maharashtra

Minerals in Maharashtra: Maharashtra is surrounded by a large area of the Deccan Plateau. These have compressed Maharashtra's ancient rocks. As a result, Maharashtra's mineral resources are limited. Mineral resources make up 12.33% of the total area. The distribution of Maharashtra's mineral wealth is likewise unequal. Of the 36 districts in the state, only 11 contain a high concentration of minerals. Maharashtra contributes 4.03 percent of the country's total mineral production, placing it 11th in the country.

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Minerals in Maharashtra

Maharashtra accounts for 4.03 percent of the nation's total mineral production. It was the nation's top producer of graded fluorite for the 2010–11 fiscal year. With 21.63 percent and 36.31 percent of the nation's total production, respectively, Maharashtra was the top producer of kyanite and manganese ore. While the State recorded higher production of kyanite, iron ore, manganese ore, and bauxite among all of Maharashtra's other important natural resources in 2010–11, output of fireclay, fluorite, and sillimanite fell by 54.57 percent, 48.25 percent, and 62.07 percent, respectively.

Major Mineral Ores found in Maharashtra

• Manganese ore

• Iron ore

• Bauxite

• Copper ore

• Gold

• Coal

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Estimated Reserves of Mineral Resources in Maharashtra

The following lists some of Maharashtra's principal minerals along with an estimate of their reserves:

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Some of the Major Minerals of Maharashtra

Manganese, iron ore, bauxite, dolomite, chromite, kyanite and sillimanite, limestone, and other minerals are among Maharashtra's main mineral resources.

1. Iron Ore

India has about 1346 crore tonnes of iron ore reserves. Maharashtra is home to 20% of these reserves. The rocks of the Dharwad group are linked to a good diversity of iron ore. Open pit mines are the source of the haematite kind of iron ore that is found in Maharashtra.

• Location

East Vidarbha: Taconite rock near Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Nagpur, and Gondia has iron ore.

South Maharashtra: Jamba rock in Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, and Raigad has iron ore.

• Mines

Chandrapur: Ratnapur and Lohardongri in Brahmapuri taluk, as well as Pipalgaon and Bhisi in Chimur taluk, are iron ore mines.

Gadchiroli: The region of Gadchiroli and Deulgaon is well-known for its iron ore. This is where you can find high-quality iron ore.

Gondia: Goregaon taluk contains magnetite-type iron ore. Igneous rocks in the Gondia district contain iron ore.

Sindhudurg-Reddi, Asoli, and some locations in Sawantwadi taluka in this district. There is a two-kilometer iron ore deposit in the hills close to Reddi.

Kolhapur: This district's Shahuwadi and Radhanagari talukas include iron ore resources.

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2. Bauxite

One important mineral that is mostly found in South Maharashtra's Konkan areas is bauxite. Laterite rock contains the mineral bauxite. The primary usage of bauxite is in the manufacturing of aluminium. Twenty-one percent of India's total bauxite reserves are produced in Maharashtra. There are over 68 million deposits of high-quality bauxite in Maharashtra.

• Location

Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Sangli and Satara

• Mines

Kolhapur: Shahuwadi, Radhanagari, Chandragad talukas

Raigad: Murud, Roha, Srivardhan

Ratnagiri: Dapoli, Mandangad,

Sangli: Shirala Taluka

Palghar: Tungar Hills

Sindhudurg: Amboli Ghat

3. Coal

Maharashtra's coal reserves amount to 4%. Maharashtra has high- and medium-quality coal. China ranks first in coal production.

• Location

Coal reserves can be discovered in Maharashtra's eastern Vidarbha districts of Nagpur, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, and Yavatmal.

• Mines

Chandrapur: Ballarpur

Nagpur: Umred

Yavatmal: Vani

Minerals Production in Maharashtra

• The state's entire potential mineral area has been determined to be approximately 58 thousand square kilometres, or 19 percent of the overall land area.

• Major minerals such as coal, limestone, manganese ore, bauxite, iron ore, kyanite, etc. graded), chromite, etc., are found in deposits in the districts of Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Gondia, and Yavatmal in Vidarbha, Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, and Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg in the Konkan.

• As of March 31, 2021, there were 191 big mineral mines with 49,092 employees working in them.

• Minerals were extracted for 11,534 crores in 2020–21. The total value of all minerals extracted in 2021–2022 was 3,689 crore as of September.

• Coal produced more than any other mineral, with limestone coming in second. 9.226 crores, or 80.0% of the total value of minerals extracted, were the estimated value of the 474.35 lakh MT of coal that was extracted in 2020–21.

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