From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, Aug 17: The Geological Survey of India is exploring the mining of the high-value lithium in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh, official reports said.
GSI’s field season 2023-24 report highlights ongoing lithium exploration projects in Korba district in Chhattisgarh, South Garo Hills and East Garo Hills in Meghalaya, and Jammu, Ramban, Reasi, Rajouri, and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. These explorations are currently in the G4 stage, which involves initial surveys to determine the areas for further studies.
Lithium is a critical non-ferrous alkali mineral used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). With India’s focus on transitioning to EVs in the public and private transportation sectors, the availability of lithium becomes vital.
So far, the only lithium find in India has been in Reasi with a reserve of 5.9 million tonnes.
This is part of the country’s intensified efforts in exploring critical and strategic minerals such as lithium, rare earth elements (REEs), and vanadium, among others. These minerals are crucial for green technologies, high-tech equipment, aviation, and national defence manufacturing needs, officials said.
India imports a significant portion of these minerals. To address this issue, the GSI has been conducting exploration projects in different states across the country.
Mineral Exploration and Consultation Ltd, a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Mines, is also carrying out lithium and potassium exploration in the Merak block in Ladakh’s Leh. These explorations, initiated in 2021-22, are currently in the G4 stage.
The GSI is conducting more than 50 explorations for REEs, which is one of its largest exploration activities in this segment in recent times. REEs are essential for various industrial applications, including electronics, clean energy, aerospace, automotive, and defence.
The most significant end-use for REEs is the manufacturing of permanent magnets, accounting for 43% of the demand in 2021.
The explorations for REEs are spread across Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. These explorations are in different stages, including G4, G3, and G2, depending on the location.
Since 2015, the GSI has increased REE resources by 114 MT, Minister for Mines Prahlad Joshi said in Parliament recently. The GSI is also conducting explorations for vanadium and niobium, both of which have crucial applications in various industries.
Vanadium is used in nuclear reactors, spacecraft, and aircraft, and explorations are currently in the G4 stage in Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Kerala. Niobium, essential for jet engines, rockets, girders, and beams, is being explored in West Bengal and Rajasthan.
Vanadium, an REE, is rarely found in nature but can be artificially isolated and stabilised with an oxide layer. The explorations for vanadium in 2022-23 cover different regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.