India 2018

366 India 2018
remaining 10 per cent are black iron ore, not-known and other grades. Major
resources of hematite are located in Odisha - 7,559 million tonnes (34 per cent),
Jharkhand - 5,286 million tonnes (24 per cent), Chhattisgarh - 4,858 million tonnes
(22 per cent), Karnataka - 2,467 million tonnes (11 per cent) and Goa - 1189
million tonnes (5 per cent). The balance resources of hematite are spread in
Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Magnetite is another principal iron ore that also occurs in the form of
oxide, either in igneous or metamorphosed banded magnetite-silica formation,
possibly of sedimentary origin. As per UNFC system, the total resources of
magnetite as in 2015 are estimated at 10,789 million tonnes of which 'reserves'
constitute a mere 53 million tonnes while 10,736 million tonnes are placed under
'remaining resources'. Classification on the basis of grades shows 20 per cent
resources of metallurgical grade while 80 per cent resources belong to
unclassified, not-known and other grades. The resources of coal washery and
foundry grades constitute meagre proportions. India's 96 per cent magnetite
resources are located in four states, namely, Karnataka - 7,802 million tonnes
(72 per cent) followed by Andhra Pradesh - 1,392 million tonnes (13 per cent),
Rajasthan - 617 million tonnes (6 per cent) and Tamil Nadu - 507 million tonnes
(5 per cent). Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya
and Nagaland together account for the remaining 4 per cent resources.
Lead and Zinc
The total resources of lead and zinc ores as in 2015 as per UNFC system, are
estimated at 749.46 million tonnes. Of these, 106.12 million tonnes (14 per cent)
fall under 'reserves' while balance 643.34 million tonnes (86 per cent) are
classified as 'remaining resources'. The resources of ore containing + 10 per cent
Pb and Zn were estimated at 124.33 million tonnes, ore containing 5 to 10 per
cent Pb and Zn were 329.88 million tonnes and ore containing less than 5 per
cent Pb and Zn were 295.35 million tonnes.
Rajasthan is endowed with the largest resources of lead-zinc ore amounting
to 670.34 million tonnes (89.44 per cent), followed by Andhra Pradesh 22.69
million tonnes (3.02 per cent), Madhya Pradesh 14.84 million tonnes (1.98 per
cent), Bihar 11.43 million tonnes (1.52 per cent) and Maharashtra 9.27 million
tonnes (1.24 per cent). Resources are also established in Gujarat, Meghalaya,
Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
Manganese Ore
The total resources of manganese ore in the country as in 2015 are placed at 496
million tonnes as per UNFC system. Out of these, 94 million tonnes are
categorised as reserves and the balance 402 million tonnes are in the remaining
resources category. Gradewise, ferro-manganese grade accounts for 7 per cent,
medium grade 11per cent, BF grade 28 per cent and the remaining 54 per cent
are of mixed, low, others, unclassified, and not-known grades including 0.17
million tonnes of battery/chemical grade.