Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026 · 2 min read
1. Types of minerals
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Metallic — ferrous | Iron ore, manganese, chromite |
| Metallic — non-ferrous | Bauxite (aluminium), copper, lead, zinc, gold |
| Non-metallic | Limestone, mica, gypsum, dolomite, barytes |
| Fuel / energy minerals | Coal, petroleum, natural gas, uranium, thorium |
2. India's main mineral belts
| Belt | Minerals |
|---|---|
| Chota Nagpur plateau (Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal) | Coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, copper — "mineral heartland" |
| Central belt (MP, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra) | Coal, manganese, bauxite, limestone |
| Southern belt (Karnataka, AP, Telangana, Goa) | Iron ore, gold (Kolar, Hutti), barytes, limestone |
| North-western belt (Rajasthan, Gujarat) | Copper, lead, zinc, marble, petroleum, gypsum |
| Coastal sands (Kerala, TN, Odisha, AP) | Ilmenite, monazite (thorium), zircon |
3. Uses
Construction (cement, steel), energy, industry, agriculture (fertiliser minerals), electronics and defence.
4. Environmental effects of mining
| Aspect | Effect |
|---|---|
| Land | Removal of vegetation and topsoil, deforestation, overburden dumps, subsidence, loss of farmland |
| Water | Acid mine drainage (sulphide minerals → sulphuric acid), heavy metals in streams, siltation, lowering of the water table |
| Air | Dust (silica, coal), gases from blasting and fires |
| Noise and vibration | Blasting and heavy machinery |
| Biodiversity | Habitat fragmentation, loss of wildlife corridors |
| Health | Silicosis, pneumoconiosis (coal workers), asbestosis; heavy-metal poisoning |
| Social | Displacement of tribal and forest communities, loss of livelihoods |
Examples
- Jharia coalfield (Jharkhand) — underground coal fires burning for over a century, subsidence.
- Goa and Bellary — illegal iron-ore mining (Supreme Court orders, 2011–12).
- Aravalli hills — mining banned in large parts by Supreme Court orders to protect the range.
- Niyamgiri (Odisha) — bauxite mining rejected after the gram sabhas of the Dongria Kondh voted against it (2013).