Mineral Resources of Odisha | Odisha State PSC (OPSC): Preparation - OPSC OCS (Odisha) PDF Download

 Page 1


CHAPTER 12
Odisha, being located in Peninsular India, is richly endowed
with a variety of minerals. Odisha has several metallic, non-
metallic, ferrous and non-ferrous mineral deposites.
Development in the exploitation of minerals has been
achieved in varying degrees.
Odisha occupies a prominent place in the country as a mineral rich state. According
to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha ranks first in India in total value of mineral
output. The state lies in the Peninsular plateau region that is known asMineral
HeartofIndia or Storehouse of all Minerals or Mineral Heartland of India. As per
Economic Survey 2017-18, the production of minerals during 2016-17 was 285.26
million tonnes.
Minerals Found in Odisha
The state of Odisha is gifted in terms of mineral wealth. This is due to its favourable
geological set up.
AsperGeologicalformation,themineralsof Odishacanbegroupedasfollows:
ArcheanSedimentary Iron ore, building stone, manganese ore, quartzite, slate, ochre.
GraniteGneiss China clay, building stone, road metal.
Pegmatite(Igneousrocks) Mica, feldspar, quartz.
OtherVeinsinArcheans Graphite, lead, quartz.
CuddapahSystem Limestones, clay, shale, sandstone.
LateriteSoil Building stone, bauxite, iron ore, manganese ore, ochre.
AlluviumSoil Kankar, brick and potter’s clay, sand, gold, iron ore, manganese ore.
Page 2


CHAPTER 12
Odisha, being located in Peninsular India, is richly endowed
with a variety of minerals. Odisha has several metallic, non-
metallic, ferrous and non-ferrous mineral deposites.
Development in the exploitation of minerals has been
achieved in varying degrees.
Odisha occupies a prominent place in the country as a mineral rich state. According
to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha ranks first in India in total value of mineral
output. The state lies in the Peninsular plateau region that is known asMineral
HeartofIndia or Storehouse of all Minerals or Mineral Heartland of India. As per
Economic Survey 2017-18, the production of minerals during 2016-17 was 285.26
million tonnes.
Minerals Found in Odisha
The state of Odisha is gifted in terms of mineral wealth. This is due to its favourable
geological set up.
AsperGeologicalformation,themineralsof Odishacanbegroupedasfollows:
ArcheanSedimentary Iron ore, building stone, manganese ore, quartzite, slate, ochre.
GraniteGneiss China clay, building stone, road metal.
Pegmatite(Igneousrocks) Mica, feldspar, quartz.
OtherVeinsinArcheans Graphite, lead, quartz.
CuddapahSystem Limestones, clay, shale, sandstone.
LateriteSoil Building stone, bauxite, iron ore, manganese ore, ochre.
AlluviumSoil Kankar, brick and potter’s clay, sand, gold, iron ore, manganese ore.
130 Know Your State ODISHA
Classification of Minerals
MineralsinOdishacanbeclassifiedintothefollowing:
Metals Iron ore, manganese ore, chromite, nickel, magnetite, base metals, gold and
platinum, tin ore.
Iron Manganese, Chromite, Nickel and Magnetite are ferrous minerals found in
Odisha while Gold, Platinum and Tin are Non-ferrous minerals extracted from the
mines in Odisha.
Non-metals Bauxite, coal, China clay fire clay, graphite, limestone, dolomite, kyanite
and sillimanite, pyrophyllite and mineral sands.
Metals in Odisha
Odisha is rich in metallic minerals.Someof themarediscussedasfollows:
Iron Ore
The iron ore was first discovered in Odisha by PN Bose in 1904 in Mayurbhanj
district. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 35% of country’s iron
ore reserves. Odisha has 25.3% of the total Indian hematitic ore, and it ranks second
in iron ore production in India. The Odisha-Jharkhand iron-ore belt is situated
along the Northern border of Odisha. It stretches from the Gorumahisani mines of
Mayurbhanj to Keonjhar and Sundargarh district of Odisha and Singhbhum district
of Jharkhand.
Jharkhand
WestBengal
Sundargarh
$
=
Jharsuguda
=
Keonjhar
$Deogarh
@
Mayurbhanj
Balasore
Bhadrak
=
Khurda
Cuttack
Dhenkanal
Angul
Boudh
Sonepur
Bargarh
Sambalpur
Nuapada Balangir
Phulbani
Nayagarh
Puri
Ganjam
Rayagada
Gajapati
Nabarangpur
H Kalahandi
Koraput
H Malkangiri
AndhraPradesh
Chhattisgarh
BayofBengal
H Aluminium
Chromium
Coal
Dolomite
FireClay
GlassSand
Granite
Graphite
Iron
Kaolin
Lead&Silver
Manganese
Mica
Silica
Limestone
Others
$
@
=
Odisha
Minerals
Indicators
s MINERALMAPOFODISHA
Page 3


CHAPTER 12
Odisha, being located in Peninsular India, is richly endowed
with a variety of minerals. Odisha has several metallic, non-
metallic, ferrous and non-ferrous mineral deposites.
Development in the exploitation of minerals has been
achieved in varying degrees.
Odisha occupies a prominent place in the country as a mineral rich state. According
to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha ranks first in India in total value of mineral
output. The state lies in the Peninsular plateau region that is known asMineral
HeartofIndia or Storehouse of all Minerals or Mineral Heartland of India. As per
Economic Survey 2017-18, the production of minerals during 2016-17 was 285.26
million tonnes.
Minerals Found in Odisha
The state of Odisha is gifted in terms of mineral wealth. This is due to its favourable
geological set up.
AsperGeologicalformation,themineralsof Odishacanbegroupedasfollows:
ArcheanSedimentary Iron ore, building stone, manganese ore, quartzite, slate, ochre.
GraniteGneiss China clay, building stone, road metal.
Pegmatite(Igneousrocks) Mica, feldspar, quartz.
OtherVeinsinArcheans Graphite, lead, quartz.
CuddapahSystem Limestones, clay, shale, sandstone.
LateriteSoil Building stone, bauxite, iron ore, manganese ore, ochre.
AlluviumSoil Kankar, brick and potter’s clay, sand, gold, iron ore, manganese ore.
130 Know Your State ODISHA
Classification of Minerals
MineralsinOdishacanbeclassifiedintothefollowing:
Metals Iron ore, manganese ore, chromite, nickel, magnetite, base metals, gold and
platinum, tin ore.
Iron Manganese, Chromite, Nickel and Magnetite are ferrous minerals found in
Odisha while Gold, Platinum and Tin are Non-ferrous minerals extracted from the
mines in Odisha.
Non-metals Bauxite, coal, China clay fire clay, graphite, limestone, dolomite, kyanite
and sillimanite, pyrophyllite and mineral sands.
Metals in Odisha
Odisha is rich in metallic minerals.Someof themarediscussedasfollows:
Iron Ore
The iron ore was first discovered in Odisha by PN Bose in 1904 in Mayurbhanj
district. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 35% of country’s iron
ore reserves. Odisha has 25.3% of the total Indian hematitic ore, and it ranks second
in iron ore production in India. The Odisha-Jharkhand iron-ore belt is situated
along the Northern border of Odisha. It stretches from the Gorumahisani mines of
Mayurbhanj to Keonjhar and Sundargarh district of Odisha and Singhbhum district
of Jharkhand.
Jharkhand
WestBengal
Sundargarh
$
=
Jharsuguda
=
Keonjhar
$Deogarh
@
Mayurbhanj
Balasore
Bhadrak
=
Khurda
Cuttack
Dhenkanal
Angul
Boudh
Sonepur
Bargarh
Sambalpur
Nuapada Balangir
Phulbani
Nayagarh
Puri
Ganjam
Rayagada
Gajapati
Nabarangpur
H Kalahandi
Koraput
H Malkangiri
AndhraPradesh
Chhattisgarh
BayofBengal
H Aluminium
Chromium
Coal
Dolomite
FireClay
GlassSand
Granite
Graphite
Iron
Kaolin
Lead&Silver
Manganese
Mica
Silica
Limestone
Others
$
@
=
Odisha
Minerals
Indicators
s MINERALMAPOFODISHA
Theironoredepositsof Odishastateoccurinfivedistrictzones:
(i) Bonai (Sundargarh district)– Keonjhar (Keonjhar district) Belt
(ii) Gandhamardan of Bargarh district
(iii) Tomka- Daitari of Jajpur district
(iv) Gorumahisani-Badampahar of Mayurbhanj district
(v) Hirapur of Nabarangpur district
Manganese Ore
According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 45% of India’s Manganese ore
reserves.Koraput,Kalahandi,Balangir,Keonjhar andSundargarh district have
manganese ore reserves.Manganeseoredepositsof Odishaoccurinthefollowingregions:
BonaiofKeonjhardistrict This area has about 90% of Odisha’s manganese ore
reserves. This area includes 500 sq km with Badbil in the North, Bhuban in the
South and Bhutura in the South-West.
SouthOdisha orKoraput-Kalahandi-Balangir This region has reserves of
ferruginous-manganese and ores and supplies manganese to Visakhapatnam steel
plant. The ores of this area are of poor grade due to presence of quartz in the ore.
Gangapurarea The deposits of this area are associated with Gonditic rocks. This
area includes Kesinga in Koraput, Nishikhal in Kalahandi, Champasar in Balangir,
Amsdigi and Ghoriajor in Sundargarh district.
Chromite
Chromite is indispensable for industrial complexes including aerospace, steel and
special alloys. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 96% of India’s
chromite reserves. Bulk of the product is exported to countries like USA and Japan.
Chromiteisfoundinthreeareasof Odisha:
JajpurDistrict It is found in Sukinda area of Jajpur district.
KeonjharDistrict Chromite deposits are located in Boula-Nuasahi ultramafic fields.
This belt has about 98% of total chromite reserves in India.
DhenkanalDistrict Chromite deposits are found at Katpal and covers an area of 0.3
sq km.
Nickel Ore
Odisha has the potential to meet the demand for Nickel in the country. It is a
corrosion resistant metal and is used in manufacturing of alloys, super alloys and
non-ferrous alloys. The metals find use in steel, chemical, aerospace and food
industries. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 92% of country’s
Nickel ore reserves. Sukinda valley, Kansa sector and Simlipal Ultramafic are the
major nickel producing areas of Odisha.Jajpur andMayurbhanj district lead in
nickel ore production.
131 Mineral Resources of Odisha
Page 4


CHAPTER 12
Odisha, being located in Peninsular India, is richly endowed
with a variety of minerals. Odisha has several metallic, non-
metallic, ferrous and non-ferrous mineral deposites.
Development in the exploitation of minerals has been
achieved in varying degrees.
Odisha occupies a prominent place in the country as a mineral rich state. According
to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha ranks first in India in total value of mineral
output. The state lies in the Peninsular plateau region that is known asMineral
HeartofIndia or Storehouse of all Minerals or Mineral Heartland of India. As per
Economic Survey 2017-18, the production of minerals during 2016-17 was 285.26
million tonnes.
Minerals Found in Odisha
The state of Odisha is gifted in terms of mineral wealth. This is due to its favourable
geological set up.
AsperGeologicalformation,themineralsof Odishacanbegroupedasfollows:
ArcheanSedimentary Iron ore, building stone, manganese ore, quartzite, slate, ochre.
GraniteGneiss China clay, building stone, road metal.
Pegmatite(Igneousrocks) Mica, feldspar, quartz.
OtherVeinsinArcheans Graphite, lead, quartz.
CuddapahSystem Limestones, clay, shale, sandstone.
LateriteSoil Building stone, bauxite, iron ore, manganese ore, ochre.
AlluviumSoil Kankar, brick and potter’s clay, sand, gold, iron ore, manganese ore.
130 Know Your State ODISHA
Classification of Minerals
MineralsinOdishacanbeclassifiedintothefollowing:
Metals Iron ore, manganese ore, chromite, nickel, magnetite, base metals, gold and
platinum, tin ore.
Iron Manganese, Chromite, Nickel and Magnetite are ferrous minerals found in
Odisha while Gold, Platinum and Tin are Non-ferrous minerals extracted from the
mines in Odisha.
Non-metals Bauxite, coal, China clay fire clay, graphite, limestone, dolomite, kyanite
and sillimanite, pyrophyllite and mineral sands.
Metals in Odisha
Odisha is rich in metallic minerals.Someof themarediscussedasfollows:
Iron Ore
The iron ore was first discovered in Odisha by PN Bose in 1904 in Mayurbhanj
district. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 35% of country’s iron
ore reserves. Odisha has 25.3% of the total Indian hematitic ore, and it ranks second
in iron ore production in India. The Odisha-Jharkhand iron-ore belt is situated
along the Northern border of Odisha. It stretches from the Gorumahisani mines of
Mayurbhanj to Keonjhar and Sundargarh district of Odisha and Singhbhum district
of Jharkhand.
Jharkhand
WestBengal
Sundargarh
$
=
Jharsuguda
=
Keonjhar
$Deogarh
@
Mayurbhanj
Balasore
Bhadrak
=
Khurda
Cuttack
Dhenkanal
Angul
Boudh
Sonepur
Bargarh
Sambalpur
Nuapada Balangir
Phulbani
Nayagarh
Puri
Ganjam
Rayagada
Gajapati
Nabarangpur
H Kalahandi
Koraput
H Malkangiri
AndhraPradesh
Chhattisgarh
BayofBengal
H Aluminium
Chromium
Coal
Dolomite
FireClay
GlassSand
Granite
Graphite
Iron
Kaolin
Lead&Silver
Manganese
Mica
Silica
Limestone
Others
$
@
=
Odisha
Minerals
Indicators
s MINERALMAPOFODISHA
Theironoredepositsof Odishastateoccurinfivedistrictzones:
(i) Bonai (Sundargarh district)– Keonjhar (Keonjhar district) Belt
(ii) Gandhamardan of Bargarh district
(iii) Tomka- Daitari of Jajpur district
(iv) Gorumahisani-Badampahar of Mayurbhanj district
(v) Hirapur of Nabarangpur district
Manganese Ore
According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 45% of India’s Manganese ore
reserves.Koraput,Kalahandi,Balangir,Keonjhar andSundargarh district have
manganese ore reserves.Manganeseoredepositsof Odishaoccurinthefollowingregions:
BonaiofKeonjhardistrict This area has about 90% of Odisha’s manganese ore
reserves. This area includes 500 sq km with Badbil in the North, Bhuban in the
South and Bhutura in the South-West.
SouthOdisha orKoraput-Kalahandi-Balangir This region has reserves of
ferruginous-manganese and ores and supplies manganese to Visakhapatnam steel
plant. The ores of this area are of poor grade due to presence of quartz in the ore.
Gangapurarea The deposits of this area are associated with Gonditic rocks. This
area includes Kesinga in Koraput, Nishikhal in Kalahandi, Champasar in Balangir,
Amsdigi and Ghoriajor in Sundargarh district.
Chromite
Chromite is indispensable for industrial complexes including aerospace, steel and
special alloys. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 96% of India’s
chromite reserves. Bulk of the product is exported to countries like USA and Japan.
Chromiteisfoundinthreeareasof Odisha:
JajpurDistrict It is found in Sukinda area of Jajpur district.
KeonjharDistrict Chromite deposits are located in Boula-Nuasahi ultramafic fields.
This belt has about 98% of total chromite reserves in India.
DhenkanalDistrict Chromite deposits are found at Katpal and covers an area of 0.3
sq km.
Nickel Ore
Odisha has the potential to meet the demand for Nickel in the country. It is a
corrosion resistant metal and is used in manufacturing of alloys, super alloys and
non-ferrous alloys. The metals find use in steel, chemical, aerospace and food
industries. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 92% of country’s
Nickel ore reserves. Sukinda valley, Kansa sector and Simlipal Ultramafic are the
major nickel producing areas of Odisha.Jajpur andMayurbhanj district lead in
nickel ore production.
131 Mineral Resources of Odisha
Magnetite
Vanadiferrous and titaniferrous forms of magnetite are found in Odisha which are
found in rocks of pre-Cambrian period.InOdisha,magnetitedepositsarefoundinfive
belts :
Bisoi-RairangpurBelt It includes Kumardubi, Betgharen, Amdabede, Garjari,
Kunjakocha, Bhangapahar and Hatichar deposits.
Bisoi-JoshipurBelt It includes Mayurbeka, Keshem, Sialnoi, Asanbani, Bariadihi
and Kundabari deposits.
Baripada-PodadihaBelt It includes Bahalada, Andipur and Chitrabania deposits.
RangamatiaBelt It includes Rangamatia and Godasahi deposits.
Nuasahi-BoulaBelt It includes Nuasahi and Boula deposits.
Base Metals
Base metals include copper ore and lead ore. There are three regions where base
metals are found i.e. in the Sargipali belt of Sundargarh, Kesarpur area of
Mayurbhanj and Adarsh area ofSambalpur district.
Gold and Platinum
Deposits of gold is found in the valley of Mahanadiriverandtheriverbedof
Subarnarekha. Platinum has been discovered in Odisha by the Directorate of Mines
and Geology. The deposits of platinum ore have been found in Bhubana-Barapada
region ofDhenkanalandKeonjhardistricts. The metal content is 220-520 grams
per tonne of ore, which is stated to be the highest recorded value of platinum
occurring in nature in the world. Barapada, Damphidi, Madanpur, Khad, Kabahli
and Patrapada have platinum ore deposits in Odisha.
Tin Ore
It is used either as an alloy or coated upon another metal. Cassiterites is the only
mineral of commercial importance as a source of Tin.Malkangiri district is the main
source of Tin ore in Odisha. It is also found in less quantities in the area ofBoudh
district.
Non-metals in Odisha
Odisha is rich in non-metallic minerals.Someof themarediscussedbelow:
Bauxite Ore
Bauxite is a heterogeneous ore of aluminium and is the main source of it. Bauxite is
being mined from Panchpatmali hills since 1987. According to Economic Survey
2017-18, Odisha has 52.5% of country’s bauxite reserves. The main Bauxite deposits
of Odisha are associated with the Eastern Ghats Super Group of Rocks and form
the major component of the East Coast Bauxite deposits.Bolangir,Kalahandi,
Kandhamal,Keonjhar,Koraput,Malkangiri,Rayagada, andSundargarh are bauxite
producing districts of Odisha.
132 Know Your State ODISHA
Page 5


CHAPTER 12
Odisha, being located in Peninsular India, is richly endowed
with a variety of minerals. Odisha has several metallic, non-
metallic, ferrous and non-ferrous mineral deposites.
Development in the exploitation of minerals has been
achieved in varying degrees.
Odisha occupies a prominent place in the country as a mineral rich state. According
to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha ranks first in India in total value of mineral
output. The state lies in the Peninsular plateau region that is known asMineral
HeartofIndia or Storehouse of all Minerals or Mineral Heartland of India. As per
Economic Survey 2017-18, the production of minerals during 2016-17 was 285.26
million tonnes.
Minerals Found in Odisha
The state of Odisha is gifted in terms of mineral wealth. This is due to its favourable
geological set up.
AsperGeologicalformation,themineralsof Odishacanbegroupedasfollows:
ArcheanSedimentary Iron ore, building stone, manganese ore, quartzite, slate, ochre.
GraniteGneiss China clay, building stone, road metal.
Pegmatite(Igneousrocks) Mica, feldspar, quartz.
OtherVeinsinArcheans Graphite, lead, quartz.
CuddapahSystem Limestones, clay, shale, sandstone.
LateriteSoil Building stone, bauxite, iron ore, manganese ore, ochre.
AlluviumSoil Kankar, brick and potter’s clay, sand, gold, iron ore, manganese ore.
130 Know Your State ODISHA
Classification of Minerals
MineralsinOdishacanbeclassifiedintothefollowing:
Metals Iron ore, manganese ore, chromite, nickel, magnetite, base metals, gold and
platinum, tin ore.
Iron Manganese, Chromite, Nickel and Magnetite are ferrous minerals found in
Odisha while Gold, Platinum and Tin are Non-ferrous minerals extracted from the
mines in Odisha.
Non-metals Bauxite, coal, China clay fire clay, graphite, limestone, dolomite, kyanite
and sillimanite, pyrophyllite and mineral sands.
Metals in Odisha
Odisha is rich in metallic minerals.Someof themarediscussedasfollows:
Iron Ore
The iron ore was first discovered in Odisha by PN Bose in 1904 in Mayurbhanj
district. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 35% of country’s iron
ore reserves. Odisha has 25.3% of the total Indian hematitic ore, and it ranks second
in iron ore production in India. The Odisha-Jharkhand iron-ore belt is situated
along the Northern border of Odisha. It stretches from the Gorumahisani mines of
Mayurbhanj to Keonjhar and Sundargarh district of Odisha and Singhbhum district
of Jharkhand.
Jharkhand
WestBengal
Sundargarh
$
=
Jharsuguda
=
Keonjhar
$Deogarh
@
Mayurbhanj
Balasore
Bhadrak
=
Khurda
Cuttack
Dhenkanal
Angul
Boudh
Sonepur
Bargarh
Sambalpur
Nuapada Balangir
Phulbani
Nayagarh
Puri
Ganjam
Rayagada
Gajapati
Nabarangpur
H Kalahandi
Koraput
H Malkangiri
AndhraPradesh
Chhattisgarh
BayofBengal
H Aluminium
Chromium
Coal
Dolomite
FireClay
GlassSand
Granite
Graphite
Iron
Kaolin
Lead&Silver
Manganese
Mica
Silica
Limestone
Others
$
@
=
Odisha
Minerals
Indicators
s MINERALMAPOFODISHA
Theironoredepositsof Odishastateoccurinfivedistrictzones:
(i) Bonai (Sundargarh district)– Keonjhar (Keonjhar district) Belt
(ii) Gandhamardan of Bargarh district
(iii) Tomka- Daitari of Jajpur district
(iv) Gorumahisani-Badampahar of Mayurbhanj district
(v) Hirapur of Nabarangpur district
Manganese Ore
According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 45% of India’s Manganese ore
reserves.Koraput,Kalahandi,Balangir,Keonjhar andSundargarh district have
manganese ore reserves.Manganeseoredepositsof Odishaoccurinthefollowingregions:
BonaiofKeonjhardistrict This area has about 90% of Odisha’s manganese ore
reserves. This area includes 500 sq km with Badbil in the North, Bhuban in the
South and Bhutura in the South-West.
SouthOdisha orKoraput-Kalahandi-Balangir This region has reserves of
ferruginous-manganese and ores and supplies manganese to Visakhapatnam steel
plant. The ores of this area are of poor grade due to presence of quartz in the ore.
Gangapurarea The deposits of this area are associated with Gonditic rocks. This
area includes Kesinga in Koraput, Nishikhal in Kalahandi, Champasar in Balangir,
Amsdigi and Ghoriajor in Sundargarh district.
Chromite
Chromite is indispensable for industrial complexes including aerospace, steel and
special alloys. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 96% of India’s
chromite reserves. Bulk of the product is exported to countries like USA and Japan.
Chromiteisfoundinthreeareasof Odisha:
JajpurDistrict It is found in Sukinda area of Jajpur district.
KeonjharDistrict Chromite deposits are located in Boula-Nuasahi ultramafic fields.
This belt has about 98% of total chromite reserves in India.
DhenkanalDistrict Chromite deposits are found at Katpal and covers an area of 0.3
sq km.
Nickel Ore
Odisha has the potential to meet the demand for Nickel in the country. It is a
corrosion resistant metal and is used in manufacturing of alloys, super alloys and
non-ferrous alloys. The metals find use in steel, chemical, aerospace and food
industries. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, Odisha has 92% of country’s
Nickel ore reserves. Sukinda valley, Kansa sector and Simlipal Ultramafic are the
major nickel producing areas of Odisha.Jajpur andMayurbhanj district lead in
nickel ore production.
131 Mineral Resources of Odisha
Magnetite
Vanadiferrous and titaniferrous forms of magnetite are found in Odisha which are
found in rocks of pre-Cambrian period.InOdisha,magnetitedepositsarefoundinfive
belts :
Bisoi-RairangpurBelt It includes Kumardubi, Betgharen, Amdabede, Garjari,
Kunjakocha, Bhangapahar and Hatichar deposits.
Bisoi-JoshipurBelt It includes Mayurbeka, Keshem, Sialnoi, Asanbani, Bariadihi
and Kundabari deposits.
Baripada-PodadihaBelt It includes Bahalada, Andipur and Chitrabania deposits.
RangamatiaBelt It includes Rangamatia and Godasahi deposits.
Nuasahi-BoulaBelt It includes Nuasahi and Boula deposits.
Base Metals
Base metals include copper ore and lead ore. There are three regions where base
metals are found i.e. in the Sargipali belt of Sundargarh, Kesarpur area of
Mayurbhanj and Adarsh area ofSambalpur district.
Gold and Platinum
Deposits of gold is found in the valley of Mahanadiriverandtheriverbedof
Subarnarekha. Platinum has been discovered in Odisha by the Directorate of Mines
and Geology. The deposits of platinum ore have been found in Bhubana-Barapada
region ofDhenkanalandKeonjhardistricts. The metal content is 220-520 grams
per tonne of ore, which is stated to be the highest recorded value of platinum
occurring in nature in the world. Barapada, Damphidi, Madanpur, Khad, Kabahli
and Patrapada have platinum ore deposits in Odisha.
Tin Ore
It is used either as an alloy or coated upon another metal. Cassiterites is the only
mineral of commercial importance as a source of Tin.Malkangiri district is the main
source of Tin ore in Odisha. It is also found in less quantities in the area ofBoudh
district.
Non-metals in Odisha
Odisha is rich in non-metallic minerals.Someof themarediscussedbelow:
Bauxite Ore
Bauxite is a heterogeneous ore of aluminium and is the main source of it. Bauxite is
being mined from Panchpatmali hills since 1987. According to Economic Survey
2017-18, Odisha has 52.5% of country’s bauxite reserves. The main Bauxite deposits
of Odisha are associated with the Eastern Ghats Super Group of Rocks and form
the major component of the East Coast Bauxite deposits.Bolangir,Kalahandi,
Kandhamal,Keonjhar,Koraput,Malkangiri,Rayagada, andSundargarh are bauxite
producing districts of Odisha.
132 Know Your State ODISHA
Theoccurrenceof bauxitedepositsisgroupedintothreebroadgroups :
EastCoastBauxiteGroup This group includes Khodalite at Ballada, Maliparbat,
Potangi, Panehapatmali, Bhaphlimali, Lanjigarh, Kandhamal hills and
Gandhamardan region.
SimlipalGroup This group includes Mayurbhanj district and simlipal region.
NoamundiandPuranaGroup This group includes Kusumdih in Sundargarh district
and Dholkatapahar in Keonjhar district.
Coal
Coal occurs in Odisha in the Brahmani valley and the Mahanadi valley (Ib valley).
Odisha has only Gondwana coal deposits. According to Economic Survey 2017-18,
Odisha has 24.57% of country’s coal reserves. The Talcher coalfield is located in the
Brahmani valley. This coalfield covers the parts of Angul, Sambalpur and Dhenkanal
districts. It occupies an area of over 1,813 sq km. Mahanadi valley (Ib valley)
coalfields cover Jharsuguda and Sundergarh districts. Rampur-Hingir is one of the
important coalfields in Odisha.
China Clay
It is a clay-like material comprising mostly Kaolinite. China clay is found in a long
belt stretching from the Southern Singhbhum to Mayurbhanj Granite belt. Besides
these, it also occurs in Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Koraput, Sundargarh and Dhenkanal
districts. The important deposits in Mayurbhanj district are found near Joshipur,
Dumuria, Jamba and Kadodiha. Badampahar–Joshipur, Karanjia– Ramchandrapur
belt are the most important China clay producing areas of the state.
Fire Clay
It is refractory and plastic clay associated with Gondwana rocks. Some of the richest
deposits of fire clay in India are found near the Belpahar area of Sambalpur district.
They occur in well-defined beds in the Gondwana fields of Sambalpur, Sundargarh,
Dhenkanal, Cuttack and Puri districts. Odisha is a leading producer of fire clay in India.
Graphite
Graphite occurs in association with Eastern Ghat rocks of pre-Cambrian age. The
major graphite zone of Odisha are zones of khondalitic rocks and granite gneiss rocks.
The important graphite belts of the state are Sargipali belt in Bargarh, Balangir and
Kalahandi district, Titlagarh belt in Balangir and Kalahandi district, Tumudibandha
belt in Phulbani district and Dandatopa belt in Dhenkanal and Angul district.
Limestone and Dolomite
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed of mineral calcite. It has a wide range of
industrial uses. Odisha has vast resources of limestone occurring in three distinct
geological settings, namely Gangapur group, Vindhya and Eastern Ghats whereas
Dolomite is mostly confined to Gangapur and Vindhya groups. Extensive deposits
of limestone and dolomite occurs in Sundargarh, Bargarh, Koraput and Malkangiri
districts.
133 Mineral Resources of Odisha