Uranium is considered one of the rarest minerals and has a very high density. India has been confirmed to have reserves of more than 2.5 lakh tonnes of uranium and India produces about 2% of the world’s uranium.
Rajasthan is a major state in the availability and diversity of minerals in India and produces about 16 different minerals. Rajasthan is known for high-quality silver, diamond, copper, zinc, and uranium.
Recently, abundant uranium deposits have been found in Rohil in the Sikar district of Rajasthan state and Rajasthan is the third state in India where uranium has been found. Rohil is located in Khandela Tehsil in Sikar district in the north-east of the state of Rajasthan, India.
Earlier uranium was discovered in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh and Jaduguda and Singhbhum in Jharkhand, India’s first uranium reserves were discovered in 1951 and uranium mining in India started in 1967.
According to the officials, uranium and other minerals are spread in a 1086.46 hectare area in Rohil of Sikar district of Rajasthan, which can be more than 12 million tonnes.
The Rajasthan government issued a letter of intent (LOI) to the state-owned Uranium Corporation of India. Uranium Corporation of India will invest 3000 crore rupees for mining activities and about 3000 people will get direct and indirect employment and mining of the mineral will start after the completion of necessary formalities.
Energy efficiency, a uranium pellet produces about 17 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) of energy. 1 Inch tall uranium pellet = 1 tonne coal or 120 gallons oil.
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In the year 2020-21, excluding fuel minerals, minor minerals, and atomic minerals, there were 83 mines in Rajasthan whose mineral production value was Rs 16097 crore.
Rajasthan is the sole producer of many things like zinc ore, lead, wollastonite, selenite, etc. Along with this, almost all the silver in India is produced from Rajasthan. Till the year 2005, Rajasthan was the only producer of garnet (gem).
Rajasthan is a major producer of limestone, phosphorite, copper ore, ochre, and soapstone. Rajasthan is also an important producer of marble where the Makrana region which is an urban town located in the Nagaur district is a world-famous center of marble mining.
According to the data of the Government of India, in the last 3 years, India has imported 7600 tonnes of uranium from Kazakhstan and Canada.
India is dependent on imports for uranium, in which India imports maximum uranium from France, Russia, and Kazakhstan. In FY21, India imported 1000.479 tonnes of uranium ore from Canada and 999.82 tonnes from Kazakhstan.
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Rajasthan is the largest phosphorite (Non-Metallic Minerals) producing state of India, which produced 1.357 million tonnes of phosphorite in the financial year 21.
Rajasthan is the only producing state in which 358 thousand tonnes of lead were produced and 1.46 million tonnes of zinc were produced in the year 2018-19.
Kazakhstan is the largest producer of uranium in the world at 39%, followed by Canada at 22% and Australia at 10%. Apart from this, uranium is also found in Russia, Brazil, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Niger, Ukraine, the United States, and Namibia.
There are 7 operational nuclear power plants in India and nuclear power is the seventh largest source of electricity which contributes 1.7% to the country while coal contributes 51.6%. In India, 59.7% of electricity is produced from fossil fuels and 40.3% of electricity is produced from non-fossil fuels.
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In the year 2020-21, 1332 mines were discovered, in which Rajasthan is at number 8. Mineral production took place in 21 states of India in the financial year 2021-22, in which Rajasthan accounts for 11% of the total value of mineral production in India.
Rajasthan is the third-largest producer of minor minerals in India with 16.09% in FY20 and it is also a producer of iron ore. Rajasthan produced more than 15 million tonnes of zinc ore and lead concentrates in FY21, while Rajasthan is the only producing state in India where zinc ore and lead concentrates are produced.
There were about 1364 mines in India in the year 2018-19, in which Rajasthan had 82 mineral production mines except fuel minerals, minor minerals, and atomic minerals.
According to the data of the Rajasthan Government, the estimated value of Minor Minerals in FY19 was Rs.10275 crores in Rajasthan.
During the year 2018-19, Rajasthan contributed 17.52% to the total value of mineral production in the country, and the production of Manganese, copper ore, lead, and zinc ore have increased.
In the year 2018-19, the total value of metallic minerals in India was Rs 64042 crore, in which iron ore contributed Rs 45184 crore and iron ore produced about 206.45 million tonnes.
Rajasthan is the third-largest contributor to the production of minor minerals in India with a value of Rs 12.206 million in FY20. Limestone is produced in large quantities in India, the production of limestone in the year 2018-19 was 379 million tonnes in which Rajasthan contributed 20%.
The value of production of minor minerals in the year 2018-19 was Rs 71626 crore, in which Rajasthan was at number three with a contribution of 14.3%.
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Major Minerals found in Rajasthan
| Minerals | Adequate percentage of total resources |
|---|---|
| Potash | 94% |
| Lead & zinc ore | 89% |
| Silver ore | 88% |
| Wollastonite | 88% |
| Gypsum | 82% |
| ochre | 81% |
| Bentonite | 75% |
| Fuller’s earth | 74% |
| Diatomite | 72% |
| Felspar | 66% |
| Marble | 63% |
| Asbestos | 61% |
| Copper ore | 54% |
| Calcite | 50% |
| Soapstone | 49% |
| Ball clay | 38% |
| Rock phosphate | 31% |
| Fluorite | 29% |
| Tungsten | 27% |
FAQs about Minerals found in Rajasthan
Recently, abundant uranium deposits have been found in Rohil in the Sikar district of Rajasthan state. Rohil is located in Khandela Tehsil in Sikar district in the north-east of the state of Rajasthan, India.
According to the officials, uranium and other minerals are spread in a 1086.46 hectare area in Rohil of Sikar district of Rajasthan, which can be more than 12 million tonnes.
Rajasthan is the sole producer of many things like zinc ore, lead, wollastonite, selenite, etc.
In the year 2020-21, excluding fuel minerals, minor minerals, and atomic minerals, there were 83 mines in Rajasthan whose mineral production value was Rs 16097 crore.