Geography · Ch 13 — Mineral and Energy Resources
Ferrous Mineral
Ferrous Mineral
Ferrous minerals — iron ore, manganese, chromite — form the backbone of metallurgical industries. India is exceptionally well-endowed with these minerals, both in terms of reserves and production.
Iron Ore
India possesses the largest reserves of iron ore in Asia. The two main types found in the country are haematite and magnetite. Indian iron ore is in great demand internationally because of its superior quality.
A major advantage is that iron ore mines occur in close proximity to coal fields in the north-eastern plateau region. About 95 per cent of total iron ore reserves are located in the states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
State-wise distribution of major iron ore mines:
- Odisha: Iron ore occurs in a series of hill ranges in Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, and Jhar. Important mines include Gurumahisani, Sulaipet, Badampahar (Mayurbhanj), Kiruburu (Kendujhar), and Bonai (Sundergarh).
- Jharkhand: Has some of the oldest iron ore mines, and most of India's iron and steel plants are located around them. Major mines such as Noamundi and Gua are in Poorbi and Pashchimi Singhbhum districts.
- Chhattisgarh: The belt from Jharkhand extends into Durg, Dantewara, and Bailadila. Dalli and Rajhara in Durg are important mines.
- Karnataka: Deposits occur in the Sandur-Hospet area of Ballari district, Baba Budan hills and Kudremukh in Chikkamagaluru district, and parts of Shivamogga, Chitradurg, and Tumakuru districts.
- Other states: Chandrapur, Bhandara, and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra; Karimnagar and Warangal in Telangana; Kurnool, Cuddapah, and Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh; Salem and Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu. Goa has also emerged as an important producer.
Manganese
Manganese is a critical raw material for smelting iron ore and for manufacturing ferro-alloys. Manganese deposits are found in almost all geological formations but are mainly associated with the Dharwar system.
Madhya Pradesh and Odisha are the leading producers of manganese.
- Odisha: Major mines are located in the central part of the iron ore belt, particularly in Bonai, Kendujhar, Sundergarh, Gangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Bolangir. …
The map is a political outline of India with a full latitude-longitude grid (68°E to 96°E, 8°N to 36°N) and the Tropic of Cancer drawn across the country. Neighbouring countries are labelled — Afghanistan, Pakistan, China (Tibet), Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka — and the surrounding water bodies are named: Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean. A scale bar runs from 0 to 600 km.
The title block reads "INDIA METALLIC MINERALS (FERROUS)". The legend uses four symbols: a hatched fill for IRON ORE FIELDS, a filled triangle for IRON ORE MINES, a circle-with-star for IRON ORE EXPORTING PORTS, and a crossed-diamond for MANGANESE.
Iron ore fields (hatched areas) are shown in the major belts described in the textbook: the Odisha-Jharkhand belt (Sundergarh, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar), the Chhattisgarh belt (Durg, Bailadila), the Karnataka belt (Ballari, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Chitradurga, Tumakuru), and the Goa region. Specific iron ore mines (filled triangles) are plotted at: Balaghat, Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Durg, Bailadila, Ratnagiri, Goa/Marmagao, Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Kudremukh, Chikkamagaluru, Ballari, Tumakuru, Sundergarh, Gua, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar. Two iron ore exporting ports (circle-with-star) are marked: Paradwip (Odisha) and Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
Manganese deposits (crossed-diamond symbols) are shown at: Balaghat, Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Durg, Bailadila, Ratnagiri, Goa/Marmagao, Chitradurga, Shivamogga, Kudremukh, Chikkamagaluru, Ballari, Tumakuru, Sundergarh, Gua, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar. Notice that many of these manganese locations overlap with iron ore mine sites — this reflects the textbook's point that manganese is often found in the same geological belts (especially the Dharwar system) and that Odisha and Madhya Pradesh are the leading producers. …