UNIT II
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERAL RESOURCES
Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic,
crystalline solids having a definite chemical
composition and characteristic physical properties.
An ore is a mineral or combination of
minerals from which a useful substance, such
as a metal, can be extracted and used to
manufacture a useful product.
a gold ore
USES and Exploitation
(i) Development of industrial plants and
machinery.
(ii) Generation of energy e.g. coal, lignite, uranium.
(iii) Construction, housing, settlements.
(iv) Defense equipments weapons, armaments.
(v) Transportation means.
(vi) Communication- telephone wires, cables,
electronic devices.
(vii) Medicinal system- particularly in
Ayurvedic System.
(viii) Formation of alloys for various purposes (e.g.
phosphorite).
USES and Exploitation (contd.)
(ix) Agriculture – as fertilizers, seed dressings and
fungicides (e.g. zineb containing zinc, Maneb-
containing manganese etc.).
(x) Jewellery– e.g. Gold, silver, platinum, diamond
Based on their properties, minerals are
basically of two types:
Non metallic minerals e.g. graphite,
diamond, quartz, feldspar.
Metallic minerals e.g. Bauxite, laterite,
haematite
Minerals are sometimes also classified as
Critical Minerals are essential for the economy of a
nation. e.g., copper, gold etc.
Strategic minerals are required for the defence of a
country. e.g., cobalt, platinum etc.
It is evident from the Tables that the CIS
countries (The Commonwealth of
Independent States i.e. 12 republics of
former USSR), the United States of America,
Canada, South Africa and Australia are
having the major world reserves of most of
the metallic minerals.
Due to huge mineral and energy resources, the
USA became the richest and the most powerful
nation in the world in even less than 200
years.
Some Major Minerals of India
(a) Energy generating minerals
Coal and lignite: West Bengal, Jharkhand,
Orissa, M.P., A.P.
Uranium (Pitchblende or Uranite ore):
Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh (Nellore, Nalgonda),
Meghalaya, Rajasthan (Ajmer).
b) Other commercially used minerals
Aluminium (Bauxite ore): Jharkhand, West
Bengal,Maharashtra, M.P., Tamilnadu.
Iron (haematite and magnetite ore):
Jharkhand, Orissa, M.P.,A.P., Tamilnadu, Karnatak
a, Maharashtra and Goa.
Copper (Copper Pyrites): Rajasthan
(Khetri), Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka, M.P., West
Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
ENVRIONMENTAL IMPACTS OF
MINERAL EXTRACTION AND USE
The issue related to the limits of the mineral
resources in our earth's crust or in the ocean
is not so significant. More important
environmental concern arises from the
impacts of extraction and processing of these
minerals during mining, smelting etc.
Indian Scenario: India is the producer of 86
minerals the annual value of which is about
Rs.50,000 crore. At least six major mines
need a mention here which are known for
causing severe problems:
(i) Jaduguda Uranium Mine, Jharkhand—
exposing local people to radioactive hazards.
(ii) Jharia coal mines, Jharkhand—
underground fire leading to land subsidence
and forced displacement of people.
(iii) Sukinda chromite mines, Orissa— seeping
of hexavalent chromium into river posing
serious health hazard, Cr 6+ being highly toxic
and carcinogenic contaminated groundwater.
(iv) Kudremukh iron ore mine, Karnataka—
causing river pollution and threat to
biodiversity.
(v) East coast Bauxite mine, Orissa— Land
encroachment and issue of rehabilitation.
(vi) North-Eastern Coal Fields, Assam— Very
high sulphur contamination
Impacts of Mining
Mining is done to extract minerals (or fossil fuels)
from deep deposits in soil by using sub-surface
mining or from shallow deposits by surface
mining.
The former method is more destructive,
dangerous and expensive including risks of
occupational hazards and accidents.
Surface mining can make use of any of the
following three types:
(a) Open-pit mining in which machines dig
holes and remove the ores (e.g.
copper, iron, gravel, limestone, sandstone,
marble, granite).
(b) Dredging in which chained buckets and
draglines are used which scrap up the
minerals from under-water mineral deposits.
(c) Strip mining in which the ore is stripped
off by using bulldozers, power shovels and
stripping wheels (e.g. phosphate rocks).
The Environmental Damage caused by mining
activities are as follows:
(i) Devegetation and defacing of landscape
(ii) Subsidence of land
(iii) Groundwater contamination
(iv) Surface water pollution
(v) Air pollution
(vi) Occupational Health Hazards
Remedial Measures (mitigate)
In order to minimize the adverse impacts of mining it is
desirable to adopt eco-friendly mining technology.
The low grade ores can be better utilised by using microbial
leaching technique. The bacterium Thiobacillus ferroxidans has
been successfully and economically used for extracting. The ore
are inoculated with the desired strains of gold embedded in iron
sulphide ore acteria, which remove the impurities (like sulphur)
and leave the pure mineral. This biological method is
helpful f r om economic as well as environmental point
of view.
Remedial Measures (contd.)
Restoration of mined areas by re-vegetating them with appropriate
plant species, stabilization of the mined lands, gradual restoration of
flora, prevention of toxic drainage discharge and confirming to the
standards of air emissions are essential for minimizing
environmental impacts of mining.
CASE STUDY
Mining in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Aravallis
The Aravalli range is spread over about 692 km in the North-west
India covering Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi. The hill
region is very rich in biodiversity as well as mineral resources. The
Sariska tiger reserve has gentle slopy hills, vertical rocky valleys,
flat plains as well as deep gorges. The reserve is very rich in wild
life and has enormous mineral reserves like
quartzite, Schists, marble and granite in abundance.
Mining operations within and around the Sariska Tiger reserve has
left many areas permanently infertile and barren. The precious wild
life is under serious threat.
Mining in Sariska Tiger Reserve in Aravallis (contd.)
We must preserve the Aravalli series as a National
Heritage and the Supreme Court on December 31st, 1991
has given a judgement in response to a Public Interest
Litigation of Tarun Bharat Sangh, an NGO wherein both
Centre and State Government of Rajasthan have been
directed to ensure that all mining activity within the park
be stopped. More than 400 mines were shut immediately.
But, still some illegal mining is in progress.
