Bauxite in India
Bauxite is the raw material for making aluminium. It is not a specific mineral but a rock consisting mainly of hydrated aluminium oxides. It is clay-like substance which is pinkish whitish or reddish in colour depending on the amount of iron content.
Production and Distribution: The total reserves of bauxite in India are estimated at 27.40 crores tonnes. The major bauxite producing states in India are Orissa, Jharkhand, Gujrat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Goa in a descending order of importance.
Orissa: Orissa is the largest producer of bauxite in the country and contributes about one-third of the total production. Kalahandi, Bolangir, Koraput, Sundargarh and Sambalpur are the main bauxite producing districts.
Jharkhand: Jharkhand is the second largest producer of bauxite and produces about 22% of India’s total. Ranchi and Palamau are the main bauxite-producing districts.
Gujrat: Gujarat produces about 15% of India’s bauxite and occupies third position. Jamnagar, Kaina, Sabarkantha, Kachchh and Surat are the main bauxite-producing districts.
Maharashtra: Maharashtra produces about 12% of India’s bauxite. Exploitation of bauxite started much later in Maharashtra. It started first in Thane district but now it is mined in Kolaba, Ratnagiri and Kolhapur districts.
Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh contributes about 10% of the total bauxite production in the country. Amarkantak plateau area in Shahdol district, Mandala and Balaghat districts and Katni area of Jabalpur are major bauxite-producing areas in Madhya Pradesh.
Other Producers: The principal deposits of bauxite in Karnataka occur in Belgaum district. Bauxite deposits also occur in Nilgiris, Salem, Madurai and Coimbatore districts of Tamil Nadu. Some deposits are found in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. High grade bauxite ore is found in Punch and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir and plateau region of Sarguja, Durg Raigarh and Bilaspur districts in Chhattisgarh. Some bauxite deposits also occur in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
