MINERAL AND POWER RESOURCES OF CHHOTA NAGPUR

REGION
MINERAL AND POWER RESOURCES OF CHHOTA NAGPUR REGION
Chhota Nagpur plateau lies in the eastern India, specifically in the state of Bihar.
The plateau is composed of Precambrian rocks (more than 540,000,000 years old).
Chute Ngpur is the collective name for the Rnchi, Hazribgh, and Kodarma
plateaus, which have an area of 65,509 sq km. Its largest division is the Rnchi
Plateau, which has an average elevation of 2,300 ft (700 m). The Chhota Ngpur
plateau in its entirety lies between the basins of the Ganges and Son rivers to the
north and the Mahnadi River to the south; through its center, from west to east,
runs the coal-bearing, faulted Dmodar Valley. Numerous streams have dissected
the uplands into a peneplain (an area reduced almost to a plain by erosion) with
isolated hills.
Centuries of heavy cultivation have depleted the plateau of much of its natural
vegetation, though some valuable forests and mineral resources still remains still
remains.
Mineral resources of Chhota Nagpur plateau:
The Chhota Ngpur area has the most valuable concentration of mineral resources
in India accounting for 40 to about 100 percent of the national production of various
minerals it holds a key position as it produces:
v 100% of Indias copper and apatite.
v 95% of kyanite
v More than 50% of mica, bauxite and china clay;
v About 40% of iron ore.
v Contains 80% of Indias known deposits of coal and nearly 100% of coking coal.
The above-mentioned important minerals occur in well-defined belts. The
occurrence of coal coincides with the Gondwana rocks of the Damodar valley. The
principal coalfields extend in east-west direction conforming approximately to the
alignment of the Aurangabad and Damodar rivers from the Hutar fields in the west
to Jharia fields in the east. There are other fields, off this main strike, such as the
Daltonganj and Girdih fields. Most of these fields contain good quality bituminous
coal suitable for coke. The estimated and inferred reserves total 45,841 million tons
or approximately 38% of the total coal reserves of the country.
The ridge forming the western side of the horse-shoe is known as the iron ore range.
The iron ore occurring here is hematite having more than 60% of iron content.
Hazribgh district is one of the main sources of mica in the world. Other minerals
are copper they occur in a 130 long belt in Singhbhum following the line of soda
granite outcrop, bauxite occur in the Pat area that is to say on the west side of
Ranchi district and adjoining highlands in Palamau district, which constitute at
present the most important deposits of India,

Apart from these various other minerals like limestone asbestos, and apatite (useful
in the manufacture of phosphate fertilizers) uranium etc are found here.

Power resources of Chhota Nagpur In Chhota Nagpur, there is excellent combination

of various minerals discussed above, with adequate power resources of the
Damodar valley (as it has large source of good quality coal and is found to be the
only source of coking coal of the country) providing unique opportunities for the
development of diversified industrial base. A huge thermal plant for generating
electricity and a large steel mill are located at Bokro with another thermal plant
located at Chandrapura while one is to come up at Patratu. In addition, hydro
electricity is being generated in the valley with the completion of the Damodar
Valley Project. The table below gives the power capacity and production of different
stations:
Power station Total installed Power generated in
capacity in MW 1966-67 (million KWh)
Thermal:
Chandrapura 420 1,821.77
Bokaro 247 1,270.94
Patratu 250 Hydro:
Maithon 60 65.78
Panchet Hill 40 51.39
Tilaiya 4 2.89
The Chhota Nagpur as stated above is very rich in mineral as well as power
resources but if the human development index graph of this area is studied then it
shows that this area lags far behind the other area like Punjab or Chandigarh. The
planning commission and the other government and private institution which
framework the development strategies of an area must look in to the fact as to why
this naturally rich region is economically backward.
Posted by Milita Haldar at 7:43 AM

Minerals[edit]
Chota Nagpur plateau is a store house of minerals
like mica, bauxite, copper, limestone, iron ore and coal.[3] The Damodar valley is rich in coal

and it is considered as the prime centre of coking coal in the country. Massive coal deposits
are found in the central basin spreading over 2,883 square kilometres (1,113 sq mi). The
important coalfields in the basin are Jharia,Raniganj, West Bokaro, East
Bokaro, Ramgarh, South Karanpura and North Karanpura.[21]

The Chota Nagpur Plateau Region

Chota Nagpur plateau is a dissected plateau in India. It is one of the most important
industrial region in India. It comprises of the districts of Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Singhbhum,
Dhanbad, Palamou, Santal Parganas of Bihar and Purulia districts of West Bengal. In the
north of Chota Nagpur plateau there is the Ganga Plain, Orissa in the south, East Gangetic
Plain in the East and Madhya Pradesh and Bangelkhand Plateau in the West.
The Chhotonagpur plateau is divided into three broad physical divisions:
1.

Ranchi Plateau,

2.

Hazaribagh Plateau,

3.

Kodarma Plateau.

Ranchi is the highest part of this plateau.

Chota Nagpur Store house of minerals.

Chota Nagpur plateau is called the store house of minerals of India.
No other part of India is as rich in minerals as this region is. It accounts for 40 to nearly 70%
per cent of the countrys production of various mineralsexcept petroleum.
The minerals fouun in Chota Nagpur Plateau are coal, iron-ore, copper, asbestos, bauxite,
china clay, chromite, dolomite, limestone, feldspar, fire clay, keonite, manganese, mica,
silica, steatite, vanadium steatite, uranium gold, antimony, etc. are found in different parts of
this plateau.
o

Coal: Jharia, Bokaro, Karanpura, Giridi, Ramgarh, Daltangunge, and

Damodar Valley are producing near about 74% of total coal production in
India.

Iron-ore: Noamundi, Gua, Kolhan, Dharwar, Budabaru, etc. are producing

high grade Hematite iron ore nearly 40% of the total production of India is
obtained from Chhotonagpur Plateau.

Dolomite: Dolomite is mainly found in the Palamou district of India.

Limestone: Limestone is found at Chaibasa, Jagnnathpur, Singbhum, HosirBachra-Dundway, Babhana-Hoyar-Khalari areas of Ranchi District; BunduBansaria, and Kurkuta region of Hazaribagh District.

Mica: Chhotonagpur plateau is the largest producer of Mica in India.

Kodarma, Domchanchi, Jhumri-Tilaiya, Giridhi, are the major Mica producing
centre of the plateau. Ruby Mica of Kodarma is world famous.

Bauxite: It is mined at Jojohati & Roroburu and in the Kolhan estate of

Singbhum district of this plateau. Lohardaga is noted for bauxite.

Copper: Copper is mined at Rakha, Masabni in Singbhum districts.

Asbestos: It is mined at Singhbhum district, Narda, Kalimati, Jojohati and

Roroburu.

Feldspar: It is mined near Chrichaki, Bagardih, Bengro, Kubadih and

Hundru etc.

Kyanite: It is mined at Singhbhum district (Lapsa Buru).

Fire-clay: It is mined at Rajhara and Latihar in the Palamou districts.

China-clay: It is mined at Hat Gamaria, and its adjoining region.

Manganese: Manganese is mined at Singhbhum district of this region.

Gold is mined in the sands of Subarnarekha of river of this region.

Because of the enormous deposition of above mentioned minerals, the plateau is known as
the store-house of minerals.

Chotanagpur plateau is developed in metallurgical industries

Chotanagpur plateau is developed in metallurgical industries because of the following
factors:
o

Availability of metallic minerals like iron-ore, bauxite, manganese, copper,

chromite.

Availability of coal at Jharia, Bokaro, Karanpura, Giridih.

Availability of chromium at Jozohati and Rasoburu.

Well-developed transport and communication especially of railways (SE/E)

roadways

Cheap power (hydel & thermal) and cheap labors.

Kolkata port facility, iron steel, aluminium, heavy machine plants, machine
tools heavy

Engineering, foundry forge, steel pore, pipes and fitting, rail engine,
locomotives, wagon, rails etc. developed here.

Industries in Chotanagpur Region

The main industries of the Chota Nagpur Plateau region includes Iron and steel,
automobiles, rail engines, chemical fertilizers, explosives, coal washery, cement, heavy
engineering, machine tools, paper, asbestos. glass and ceramic, refractory, agricultural
machineries, earth moving machineries, electrical cables and wire, heavy chemicals, mining
machineries, foundry forge projects, telephone & telegraph equipments textile industry,
diesel engines for motor boat, copper melting station, high tension insulator, zinc based
industries, aluminium factory.
o

Iron & Steel: Jamshedpur and Bokaro have two big iron and steel factory
which are producing each and every kind of steel products.

Automobile: Telco is producing different kinds of automobiles (cars,

trucks, mini bus, lorry etc.). The factory is also producing rail engines for
narrow-gauge railways. Besides these, the factory is also producing agricultural implements etc.

Chemical Fertilizer: Sindhri has the largest chemical fertilizers. It has

also cement factory.

Explosive: An explosive factory based on coal, is established at Gomia.

Cement: Cement factories are established at Khelari, Japla, Jhinkapani

and Bokaro.

Heavy Engineering: Heavy engineering, machine tools are produced at

Ranchi, Hatia, Jamshedpur and Adityapur.

Aluminium: Dhanbad and Muri have aluminium factories which are

producing utensils, and different types of aluminium products.

Mining Machineries: Dhanbad is producing all sorts of mining machineries.

Textile: Jasidi has textile factory producing clothes and other products.

Electrical and Telephone equipments etc. are produced at Dhanbad,

Ranchi, and Sindhri etc.

Glass-ceramic Refractory is situated at Ramgarh, Dhanbad, Barakar,

which are producing glass & ceramic and bricks and tiles.
o

Paper: Paper mill is functioning at Dalmianagar.

Foundry Forge: High tension insulator, electrical equipments etc.

producing factories are situated at Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro etc.

Copper: A copper melting plant has been established at Moubhandar.

Micanite industries are established at Ranchi, Hazaribag and Kodarma.

Besides these, there are innumerable mills and factories situated at

Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Giridih, Jhumri-Tilaiya, Chaibasa, Jamshedpur, Jharia,
Dhanbad, Daltongunge, Harihargunge, Garwa and Japla and are producing
innumerable consumer products.

Uses of minerals any 4

Mica :

A natural occurring mineral that is based on a collection of silicate minerals and

composed of varying amounts of potassium, iron, aluminum, magnesium and water is Mica. It is found
having thin-sheet like or plate-like structure with various composition and physical properties. Mica
forms flat six-sided monoclinic crystals along with an extraordinary split in the direction of larger
surfaces. This allows the mineral to be easily cleaved into optically flat films. High in silica, this stone
has the extensive capacity to remain elastic and tough even at high temperatures. This helps the
people to handle and work with the stone in those places with high and humid temperatures.
A superior insulator and a biaxial birefringent crystal, Mica possesses average refractive index and its
visible spectrum is about 1.6. Due to this nature Mica can be used to cause a point delay between two
orthogonal elements of an input linear polarization and therefore can also be used as a retardation
device. However, the birefringence is not constant and because of this very reason the optical and
physical thickness will vary. It has the absorption of 2 to 5% in the perceptible range. The best part is
Mica can resist nearly all mediums like chemicals, acids, gasses, alkalis, and oils.

Uses:
Mica is a naturally occurring stone that directly applies to a set of minerals containing silica in its
highest form. This mineral is mostly used in gypsum wallboard combined compound where it acts as
wadding and prevents cracking. There are a variety of uses of this mineral such as:

It is used in paints as a pigment extender and also helps to brighten the tone of colored
pigments

In the electrical industry the same as thermal insulation, and electrical insulators in electronic
equipment

Its shiny and glittery appearance makes it ultimate for toothpaste and cosmetics

The high thermal resistance allows it to be used as an insulator in various electronics

The highest level of silica content in it makes it the most preferred mineral to be used in various
industries and also for other personal uses. It is invariably used for fillers, extenders along with
providing smoother uniformity, improving workability and prevents cracking. This can be used as an
insulator in home attics, concrete blocks and also poured into open top walls. It can also be added to
grease to increase its durability and giving it a better surface. Mica can also be used as a soil
conditioner particularly in potting soil mixes and in gardening plots.

Copper : copper

was one of the first metals ever extracted and used by humans,
and it has made vital contributions to sustaining and improving society since the dawn of
civilization. Copper was first used in coins and ornaments starting about 8000 B.C., and at
about 5500 B.C., copper tools helped civilization emerge from the Stone Age. The discovery
that copper alloyed with tin produces bronze marked the beginning of the Bronze Age at about
3000 B.C.
Copper is easily stretched, molded, and shaped; is resistant to corrosion; and conducts heat
and electricity efficiently. As a result, copper was important to early humans and continues to be
a material of choice for a variety of domestic, industrial, and high-technology applications today

Ancient Uses of Copper

As in ancient times, copper remains a component of coinage used in many countries, but many
new uses have been identified. One of copper's more recent applications includes its use in
frequently touched surfaces (such as brass doorknobs), where copper's antimicrobial properties
reduce the transfer of germs and disease. Semiconductor manufacturers have also begun using
copper for circuitry in silicon chips, which enables microprocessors to operate faster and use
less energy. Copper rotors have also recently been found to increase the efficiency of electric
motors, which are a major consumer of electric power

Bauxite,: bauxite an aluminium ore, is the world's main source of aluminium. It consists
mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al(OH)3, boehmite -AlO(OH) and diaspore AlO(OH), mixed with the two iron oxides goethite and haematite, the clay
mineralkaolinite and small amounts of anatase TiO2. Bauxite was named by
the Frenchgeologist Pierre Berthier in 1821 after the village of Les Baux in Provence,
southernFrance, where he discovered it and was the first to recognize that it contained
aluminium.

Bauxite Used for Aluminum Production

Bauxite is the principal ore of aluminum. The first step in producing aluminum is to crush the
bauxite and purify it using the Bayer Process. In the Bayer Process the bauxite is washed in a

hot solution of sodium hydroxide which leaches aluminum from the bauxite. The aluminum is
precipitated out of solution in the form of aluminum hydroxide, Al(OH)3. The aluminum hydroxide
is then calcined to form alumina, Al2O3.
Aluminum is smelted from the alumina using the Hall-Heroult Process. In the Hall-Heroult
Process the alumina is dissolved in a molten bath of cryolite (Na3AlF6). Molten aluminum is
removed from the solution by electrolysis. This process uses an enormous amount of electricity.
Aluminum is usually produced where electricity costs are very low.

Use of Bauxite as an Abrasive

Calcined alumina is a synthetic corundum, which is a very hard material (9 on the Mohs
Hardness Scale). Calcined alumina is crushed, separated by size and used as an abrasive.
Aluminum oxide sandpaper, polishing powders and polishing suspensions are made from
calcined alumina.
Sintered bauxite is often used as an sand-blasting abrasive. It is produced by crushing bauxite
to a powder and then fusing it into spherical beads at very high temperature. These beads are
very hard and very durable. The beads are then sorted by size for use in different types of
sandblasting equipment and for different sandblasting applications. Their round shape reduces
wear on the delivery equipment.

Use of Bauxite as a Proppant

Sintered bauxite is also used as an oil field proppant. In drilling foroil and natural gas the
reservoir rock is often fractured by pumping fluids into the well under very high pressures. The
pressure builds up to very high levels that cause the reservoir rock to fracture. When fracturing
occurs water and suspended particles, known as "proppants" rush into the fractures and push
them open. When the pumps are turned off the fractures close trapping the proppant particles in
the reservoir. If an adequate number of crush-resistant particles remain in the reservoir the
fractures will be "propped" open allowing for a flow of oil or natural gas out of the rocks and into
the well. This process is known as hydraulic fracturing.
Powdered bauxite can be fused into tiny beads at very high temperatures. These beads have a
very high crush resistance and that makes them suitable as a proppant. They can be produced
in almost any size and in a range of specific gravity. The specific gravity of the beads and their
size can be matched to the viscosity of the hydraulic fracturing fluid and to the size of fractures
that are expected to develop in the rock. Manufactured proppants provide a wide selection of
grain size and specific gravity compared to a natural proppant known as frac sand

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite andaragonite,

which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Most limestone is
composed of skeletal fragments of marine organisms such ascoral or foraminifera.
Limestone makes up about 10% of the total volume of all sedimentary rocks.
The solubility of limestone in water and weak acid solutions leads to karstlandscapes, in
which water erodes the limestone over thousands to millions of years. Most cave systems
are through limestone bedrock.

Limestone has numerous uses: as a building material, as aggregate for the base of roads,
as white pigment or filler in products such as toothpaste orpaints, and as a
chemical feedstock.

Uses of Limestone
Limestone is a rock with an enormous diversity of uses. It could be the one rock that is used in
more ways than any other. Most limestone is made into crushed stone and used as a
construction material. It is used as a crushed stone for road base and railroad ballast. It is used
as an aggregate in concrete. It is fired in a kiln with crushed shale to make cement.
Some varieties of limestone perform well in these uses because they are strong, dense rocks
with few pore spaces. These properties enable them to stand up well to abrasion and freezethaw. Although limestone does not perform as well in these uses as some of the harder silicate
rocks it is much easier to mine and does not exert the same level of wear on mining equipment,
crushers, screens and the beds of the vehicles that transport it.
Some additional but also important uses of limestone include:
Dimension Stone: Limestone is often cut into blocks and slabs of specific dimensions for use in
construction and in architecture. It is used for facing stone, floor tiles, stair treads, window sills
and many other purposes.
Roofing Granules: Crushed to a fine particle size, crushed limestone is used as a weather and
heat-resistant coating on asphalt impregnated shingles and roofing. It is also used as a top coat
on built-up roofs.
Flux Stone: Crushed limestone is used in smelting and other metal refining processes. In the
heat of smelting, limestone combines with impurities and can be removed from the process as a
slag.
Portland Cement: Limestone is heated in a kiln with shale, sand and other materials and
ground to a powder that will harden after being mixed with water.
AgLime: Calcium carbonate is one of the most cost-effective acid neutralizing agents. When
crushed to sand-size or smaller particles limestone becomes an effective material for treating
acidic soils. It is widely used on farms throughout the world.
Lime: If calcium carbonate (CaC03 is heated to high temperature in a kiln the products will be a
release of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) and calcium oxide (CaO). The calcium oxide is a powerful
acid neutralization agent. It is widely used as a soil treatment agent (faster acting than aglime)
in agriculture and as an acid neutralization agent by the chemical industry.
Animal Feed Filler: Chickens need calcium carbonate to produce strong egg shells so calcium
carbonate is often offered to them as a dietary supplement in the form of "chicken grits". It is
also added to the feed of some dairy cattle who must replace large amounts of calcium lost
when the animal is milked.

Mine Safety Dust: Also known as "rock dust". Pulverized limestone is a white powder that can
be sprayed onto exposed coal surfaces in an underground mine. This coating improves
illumination and reduces the amount of coal dust that activity stirs up and releases into the air.
This improves the air for breathing and it also reduces the explosion hazard produced by
suspended particles of flammable coal dust in the air.
Limestone has many other uses. Powdered limestone is used as a filler in paper, paint, rubber
and plastics. Crushed limestone is used as a filter stone in on-site sewage disposal systems.
Powdered limestone is also used as a sorbent (a substance that absorbs pollutants) at many
coal-burning facilities.
Limestone is not found everywhere. It only occurs in areas underlain by sedimentary rocks.
Limestone is needed in other areas and is so important that buyers will pay five times the value
of the stone in delivery charges so that limestone can be used in their project or process.

Distribution of Minerals and Mineral Belts in India!

The most striking feature of the Indian minerals is their
uneven distribution. Some areas are very rich in minerals
while some others are completely devoid of this valuable
asset.