CMDC to offer licence for mining bauxite in Barima block

The Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation (CMDC) would soon be offering license for mining and marketing of bauxite mineral from its Barima block in Sitapur district of Surguja district. Open-cast mechanized mining method with drilling and blasting is proposed for the project, officials stated.

Notably, Chhattisgarh is among 19 States in the country where the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has also proposed to take up aerogeophysical survey to explore new mineral blocks. In the first phase, it has been proposed that, reconnaissance aerogeophysical survey will be completed with magnetometer and gravity sensors and in the second phase, high resolution airborne survey will be carried out over potential mineral zones identified from the reconnaissance survey.

A total of 8.13 lakh square kilometers of geological potential area in the country would be explored through outsourcing. The potential area for aerogeophysical survey covers parts of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, West Bengal, Meghalaya, Goa, Haryana, Sikkim and Assam. The data generated through aerogeophysical survey will be shared with the concerned States for taking up further exploration works.

The Central Government has established the National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) on August 14, 2015. The NMET has a governing body chaired by the Union Minister in-charge of Ministry of Mines and an Executive Committee chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Mines.

The primary objective of the NMET is to promote regional and detailed mineral exploration in the country to increase overall mineral production and achieve sustainable development of the mineral sector.

Notably, Chhattisgarh accounted for 6.07 per cent of the total bauxite production in the country in 2013-14, as per the annual report of the Union Ministry of Mines. Gujarat had the maximum 32.41 per cent share in bauxite production while Jharkhand had 10.53 per cent share and Maharashtra had 9.51 per cent share.The remaining bauxite production was reported from Goa, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, it stated.

Incidentally, the total value of mineral production (excluding atomic and minor minerals) in the country during June 2015 was `18,194 crore. The contribution of coal was the highest at `6662 crore (37 per cent).

Moreover, Chhattisgarh had 7.48 per cent share in total value of mineral production in the country during 2014-15, according to the annual report of the Union Ministry of Mines .