Uttar Pradesh: Minerals | Course for UPPSC Preparation - UPPSC (UP) PDF Download

Introduction

Uttar Pradesh is the principal holder of country’s andalusite & diaspore resources and possesses 78% andalusite 37% diaspore and 10% pyrophyllite. Important minerals occurring in Uttar Pradesh are: coal in Singrauli coalfields,Sonbhadra district. diaspore & pyrophyllite in Hamirpur, Jhansi, Lalilpur and Mahoba districts. Naini area of Allahabad contains High quality of silica sand, an important source of glass sand, containing 98% SiO2, and a very low Fe2O3 is found in Shankargarh. Lohargath in Allahabad district and also Bargarh in Banda district It is also found in Aligarh ind Chitrakoot districts.
Detailed analysis of various Minerals of Uttar Pradesh is as follows:-

Cement and other Limestone based Industry

The State was producing only 1.4 millions tonnes of Cement as against a demand of 6 million tonnes. The investigations carried out show the possibility of tapping additional reserves of Limestone for Cement as well as for Steel and other Chemical industries  in the following areas.

• Large Cement Plants
  • Kannach-Basuhari, Sonbhadra: About 145 Million tonnes of Cement grade Limestone has been outlined for setting up a million tonnes Cement plant expandable up to 2 million tonnes.
• Mini Cement Plants: A vast potential for Cement grade Limestone has been outlined in block VI of Kajrahat Limestone deposit in Sonbhadra which can be  considered for Mini cement plant.
• Dolomite: Deposits occur in the Kajrahat belt   and are estimated about 15 million tonnes  near Bari Village of Sonbhadra.
• Rock Phosphate: About 6 Million tonnes of low grade (+16% P2O5 ) Phosphate occur in Lalitpur. The high grade ore is being sold as a direct fertilizer and to elemental Phosphorus plants. A mining and beneficiation project in Lalitpur is under  formulation in joint sector for producing 1,30,000 tonnes of concentrate annually with +35% P2O5 . Downstream industries are also under consideration.
• Silica Sand: Extensive deposits of high grade Silica Sand occur near Shankargarh and Bargarh in Allahabad and Chitrakoot distt. Some of these deposits are mined by private lease holders on a small scale. Based on Lalapur deposits additional large scale mining and beneficiation units has been established by National Mineral Development Corporation.
• Pyrophyllite and Diaspore: Small deposits of Pyrophyllite and Diaspore occur in Hamirpur, Mahoba Jhansi and Lalitpur districts. These are mined by private individuals and sold as a filler&handicrafts. These mines can be developed to produce large quantities  of classified products for  ceramics and refractory industry.
• Bauxite and Synthetic Emery: About 8.4 million tones of metal grade Bauxite occur south of Manikpur in Chitrakoot district.
• Sand Lime Bricks: The Bricks offer competitive price and attractive colours and hence are in great demand. Few more plants can be set up in the state. In addition, production of Fly Ash-Lime Bricks can also be considered, since large stocks of fly ash are lying unused. Setting up of such eco friendly plants will save the excavation of earth and also the fuel wood used for making Red bricks.
• Granite: A large potentiality of dimensional Granite, suitable for blocks slabs and tiles exists in district Lalitpur, Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda and Sonbhadra and few areas in Lalitpur, are producing dimensional Granite, which has a potential export market. There is a potentiality for establishing more  plants in the Joint sector.
• Sandstone: Vindhyan sandstone occur in Agra, Lalitpur, Chitrakoot, Allahabad, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Sonbhadra districts. These are exploited by private parties and marketed as Slabstone, Millstone and Building stone. These districts provide opportunity for indigenous market and export too.
• Placer Gold: Large areas of river beds of Saharanpur  district contain gold ranging from 0.1-0.2 gm/cubic meter of sand. Beneficiation tests completed so far indicate 60-80%  of gold recovery using simple gravity methods.
• China Clay: There are possibilities of proving large deposits of China clay at Naudiha, Ramgarh, Kon & Nigahein and Jaljalia in distt. Sonbhadra. The clay occur in the weathering zone below sandstone in 5-15 meter thick zone and width of individual pockets vary from 150-200 meters. The recovery of the clay fraction is over 50%. The deposits are presently under exploratation.17 Million Tonnes of china clay deposit  is available for entrepreneurs. It is available at Naudiha 40 Kms from Chopan. This area is well connected by metal road. The china clay of Naudiha-Ramgarh is a low grade Plastic-clay and could be used in low temperature stone-ware body for the production of crockery etc.
• Andalusite: Low grade andalusite deposits occur in Harnakachar area near Wyndhamganj and   Bagisoti area of Sonbhadra. GSI had estimated about 14 million tones reserves in Wyndhamganj area. Potential occurrences can be considered for exploitation.
• Low Grade Iron Ore: Large reserves of low grade (25-30% iron) iron ore which can be easily upgraded to 45% iron using gravity methods occur at Girar, Lalitpur. These reserves can be utilized for making sponge iron.