India to Open First Lithium Mines in Chhattisgarh

14 Aug 2024 , 02:19 PM

India is planning to establish its first lithium mines in Chhattisgarh.

According to ToI, India will launch its first lithium mines in the Katghora region of Korba district, Chhattisgarh, after the Geological Survey of India (GSI) confirmed the presence of significant lithium reserves.

This decision was made during the sixth governing body meeting of the National Mineral Exploration Trust in New Delhi. The GSI found lithium concentrations ranging from 10 to 2,000 parts per million (PPM) throughout around 250 hectares, with the potential for considerably greater levels.

The meeting, headed by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, focused on mineral extraction and use, as well as environmental conservation. Shyam Bihari Jaiswal, the state’s health minister, represented Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai during the meeting.

“With the commencement of the lithium mine in the state, Chhattisgarh will become one of the leading states in the country to contribute much more to the vision of developed India by 2047,” according to Jaiswal.

The Ministry of Mines has released a Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) for the allocation of 20 essential and strategic mineral blocks on the MSTC portal. These blocks would be distributed through an e-auction in a number of states, including Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Chhattisgarh.

The Katghora area’s lithium and Rare Earth Element (REE) block was one of the 20 blocks. Preliminary GSI surveys found lithium concentrations ranging from 10 PPM to 2,000 PPM in an area of about 250 ha. This block also includes rare earth elements.

Critical and strategic minerals are required for renewable energy, defence, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, high-tech electronics, telecommunications, and transit. Currently, India relies on imports of these minerals.

Lithium, one of the 23 proposed exploration projects, is regarded as a crucial mineral for the production of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. The demand for these batteries has increased dramatically.

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