Our Mineral Wealth

Like soil, water, forests and wildlife, minerals are also very important natural resources. The only difference is that the minerals are non-renewable while the other natural resources are renewable. Minerals are buried deep beneath the Earth's surface. We have to dig them out from the earth before we can use them. Minerals include all materials derived from the earth by mining. Though minerals are found widely, they can be extracted only from the places where their concentration is high. The place from where minerals are extracted is called a mine. 

Kinds of Minerals - Minerals are of two types: 

1. Metallic Minerals - We get metals from minerals. The minerals which contain metals like iron, copper, aluminium, manganese, gold, etc are called metallic minerals. 

2. Non-metallic Minerals - Fossil fuels like coal and crude oil are the vital sources of energy. These minerals do not contain any metal. Coal, limestone, mica, sulphate, potassium salts and petroleum come under this category. 

Minerals Found in India - India is rich in mineral resources. These are the important minerals found in our country: 

Copper - Copper was the first metal used by man. It is a soft metal and it can easily be shaped into different objects. Copper tools and utensils were extensively used in early times. In modern times, copper is mostly used to make electric wires as it is a good conductor of electricity. In India, copper is found in Bihar, Rajasthan and Jharkhand. Khetri in Rajasthan has rich deposits of copper. 

Iron - Iron is a very useful metal. Copper was replaced by iron because iron was harder, more durable and easily available. One-fourth of the world's iron ore deposits are found in India. Iron is used in making utensils, knives, tools, machines, railway lines, coaches and engines. It is also used for the construction of buildings, houses, dams, bridges, factories, etc. Iron is found in large quantities in Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Mayurbhanj in Orissa have rich iron ore deposits. 

Manganese - India has large reserves of manganese mostly found in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. Manganese is mixed with iron to make steel. It is also used in making chemicals, glass, medicines, batteries, etc. 

Aluminium - Aluminium is a very light metal. It is mainly used in aircraft manufacturing. Utensils and parts of some electric goods are also made of aluminium. It is produced from an ore called Bauxite. Bauxite is available in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

Mica - India is the largest producer of mica. Mica is an insulator and it is used in electrical goods industry, radio sets as well as in automobile and aircraft industry. It is found in Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

Gold - Gold is a precious metal. It is used in making jewellery and watches. It is mined in the Kolar Gold Fields and Hatti Gold Mines in Karnataka and Ramagin Gold Fields in Andhra Pradesh. Kolar Gold Fields are the deepest in India. 

Coal - Coal is a non-metallic mineral. It is formed from dried parts of trees and plants that got buried under the ground hundreds of years ago. Coal is a major source of energy. It is used for cooking, heating, in steam engines, factories and to generate electricity. Thermal energy is generated from coal. Coal is found in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Bokaro, Raniganj, Korba, Tolcha and Jharia are the important coal mines in India. 

Petroleum - Petroleum is the most important source of energy. Petroleum is used for generating power and running cars, machines, aeroplanes, ships, etc. Petroleum is formed when animals that live in water die and pile on the ocean floor. Petroleum is a dark and thick liquid which is pumped out from under the ground, through oil wells. This crude oil is refined in refineries to produce petrol, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas, paraffin wax and many other things. Some of the important refineries are at Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Visakhapatnam, Baroda, Haldia, Barauni, Guwahati and Mathura. Digboi in Assam is the oldest oilfield in India. Ankaleshwar Oilfield in Gujarat, Bombay High in Maharashtra and Naharkatiya Oilfield in Assam are other important oilfields. 

Natural Gas - It is an important source of energy. It is used for cooking, heating and producing electricity. Natural gas is found in oilfields.

Preserving Mineral Resources - Mineral resources are precious. It takes millions of years for them to form. We may have good reserves of the mineral resources but they cannot last forever. Therefore, we must be very careful while using our mineral wealth. Scientists are trying to tap other sources of energy which are renewable such as solar energy, wind energy, water energy, biogas, tidal energy and geothermal energy. We should use more of these sources and try to reduce our dependence on coal and mineral oil so that our mineral wealth can last longer.

Our Mineral Wealth

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