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Context

• In 2012, the SC banned export of iron ore pellets from Karnataka with an aim to prevent environmental degradation.
• Following the ban, the Supreme Court directed the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) to draw up a reclamation and rehabilitation plan to reverse the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.

 

Iron ores

• Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted.
• Iron ore is the raw material used to make pig iron, which is one of the main raw materials to make steel—98% of the mined iron ore is used to make steel.

 

Types

• Following four varieties of iron ore are generally recognized.

 

Magnetite:

• This is the best quality of iron ore and contains 72 per cent pure iron. It possesses magnetic property and hence is called magnetite. It is found in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

 

Haematite:

• It contains 60 per cent to 70 per cent pure iron and is found in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

 

Limonite:

• It contains 40 per cent to 60 per cent pure iron. It is of yellow or light brown colour.

 

Siderite

• It contains many impurities and has just 40 to 50 per cent pure iron. However, due to presence of lime, it is self fluxing.

 

Iron Ore Reserves in India

• The total recoverable reserves of iron ore in India are about 9,602 million tonnes of hematite and 3,408 million tonnes of magnetite. Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu are the principal Indian producers of iron ore.
• The resources of very high grade ore are limited and are restricted mainly in Bailadila sector of Chhattisgarh and to a lesser extent in Bellary-Hospet area of Karnataka and in Jharkhand and Orissa.
• Haematite and magnetite are the most important iron ores in India. About 79% haematite ore deposits are found in the Eastern Sector (Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha & Uttar Pradesh) while about 93% magnetite ore deposits occur in Southern Sector (Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, & Tamil Nadu)
• Although some quantity of iron ore is found in several parts of the country, the major part of the reserves are highly concentrated in a few selected areas. Only six states i.e. Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Goa account for over 95 per cent of the total reserves of India.
• Jharkhand has the largest reserves accounting for about 25 per cent of the total reserves of India. This is followed by Orissa (21%), Karnataka (20%), Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (18%) and Goa (11%). The remaining 5 per cent is shared by Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Assam.

 

Largest Iron ore Deposits in India

 

However, the pattern of actual production presents a slightly different picture.

 

Production

• In the financial year 2021, Odisha was the leading producer of iron ore in the country, accounting for over half of the iron ore production.
• At present, over 99 per cent of India s iron ore is produced by just five states of Karnataka, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Jharkhand.

Five largest iron ore mines by production in India:

1. Bailadila Iron Ore Mines (Kirandul Complex)

The Bailadila Iron Ore Mines (Kirandul Complex ) is a surface mine located in Chhattisgarh. It is owned by NMDC and produced an estimated 13.627 MTPA of iron ore in 2020. The mine will operate until 2039.

 

2. Bailadila Iron Ore Mines (Bacheli Complex )

Located in Chhattisgarh, the Bailadila Iron Ore Mines (Bacheli Complex ) is owned by NMDC. The surface mine produced an estimated 12.969 MTPA of iron ore in 2020. The mine will operate until 2051.

 

3. Jajang Rungta Mine

The Jajang Rungta Mine is located in Odisha. It is owned by JSW Steel and produced an estimated 10.509 MTPA of iron ore in 2020. The mine will operate until 2023.

 

4. Balda Block Iron Mine

The Balda Block Iron Mine, owned by Serajuddin & Co., is a surface mine located in Odisha. The mine produced an estimated 9.36 MTPA of iron ore in 2020. The mine will operate until 2033.

 

5. Joda East Mine

Owned by Tata Steel , the Joda East Mine is a surface mine located in Odisha. It produced an estimated 9.186 MTPA of iron ore in 2020.

 

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